Little Lost Wolf
by SWWoman
Summary: The latest story in the Wolf series. The Wolves of New York being murdered, and the Machine is not giving Finch any numbers. Why?
1. Chapter 1 - Heat

**Chapter 1 - Heat**

John Reese unlocked the door and stepped into the apartment he shared with his mate, Jocelyn Carter and her son Taylor. He was tired, he had not slept in over thirty six hours, but he'd wrapped up the latest number in satisfactory style. Another bad guy was in the hospital with a bullet in his knee and another "irrelevant" was saved.

Now tired but content, all he wanted to do was to hug his beloved mate and go to sleep. It had been a long week, several numbers had come in very close together and there had been no time for John to return home to see his family. He'd spoken with Joss a couple of times, but that was just get to information he needed for his cases; there had been no time for personal talk.

Since they were both Wolf, John had constant contact with Joss via their mating bond, which was like having a ghost of her following him around, but that was no substitute for her warm, soft, flesh and blood body. At the thought of finally be able to touch and hold her after several days away, his tired body began to awaken and he felt the familiar ache of desire for his mate.

Wolves are very sensual creatures and the intimacy of the mating bond gave the connection between a bonded pair of Wolves an extra dimension that a non-bonded pair simply could not achieve. When John had been younger and his friends and comrades who'd been part of a bonded mating had tried to describe the feeling to him, he had listened with some amusement and then cynically dismissed their grand descriptions of what it was like to be mated as poetic flights of fancy by the newly bonded. After all, John had had some intense relationships with Jessica, Kara and his other intimate partners, Wolf and non-Wolf alike, so could it really be all that different?

Then he had bonded with Jocelyn Carter and he suddenly understood. Intimacy with a bonded mate was a whole new experience for him and it had both surprised and humbled him. Before mating, he didn't even really believe in the concept of a soul, now he truly believed that his soul had merged with hers to become one that they shared.

He raised his nose, closed his eyes, and sniffed the air; Joss was obviously home and cooking dinner, he could smell the roast cooking and his stomach rumbled. He hadn't eaten all day. He sighed happily; dinner with his mate and then bed sounded like the perfect end to a satisfying week. It would be even better if he could coax Joss into bed with him right after dinner. He smiled at the thought and his cock swelled a bit at the thought of touching her again.

He walked into the kitchen where Joss was chopping vegetables. She paused and smiled at him, "You look tired. Dinner will be ready in a few minutes. Taylor is over at Dante's having an all-night video gaming fest, so we can have a nice quiet evening."

As soon as John saw and smelled her, something awakened in him. Her scent was very familiar to him, but it seemed to be downright intoxicating tonight. It surrounded him and filled him with a deep burning desire. John stared at his mate and was struck by how beautiful she was. Her skin looked smoother and softer than ever, her hair was glossier than normal, and her eyes were large and luminous. She was positively glowing. He blinked rapidly, but the glow remained. He stared at her for a minute wondering how he'd gotten this ethereal creature to mate with the likes of _him_.

He did know that he wanted her, he wanted her right here and now. If he didn't have her now he was going to explode. He was reacting to her on a very primal level and he wasn't sure why, but the way his body was urging him on, he wasn't going to waste time analyzing it. Now was the time to act.

Joss, perhaps sensing his arousal, stopped and looked up at him, startled. Whatever was driving John, she felt it too, and she could feel her body responding to him.

Joss had no idea why she felt like _this_. All she knew was her mate was staring down at her with such desire in those gorgeous eyes of his that her breath was literally taken away. There was a rush of heat between her legs and her nipples instantly hardened. Her breath came in quick panting gasps. She wanted him; she wanted him buried in her while she screamed his name.

"John," she gasped breathlessly as she had to steady herself by gripping the counter.

"Joss," the growl came from deep in his chest.

They stood there for several seconds just staring into each other's eyes. With another growl John took the knife out of her hand and pulled her to him, kissing her hard and passionately, his hunger and exhaustion completely forgotten.

To his surprise, Joss didn't protest but returned his passion with a fervor that matched his own. John looked down at her; her eyes were dilated and dark with desire. He felt his cock go rock-hard instantly. He had no idea why they were so aroused, but he did know he couldn't fight it, he didn't want to. He wanted her _**now.**_

She didn't resist; she wanted this every bit as bad as he did. She couldn't explain this sudden overwhelming need and, frankly, she was too caught up in the moment to care. Her mind was on only one thing: pleasuring her Alpha Wolf.

His mouth crashed down on hers while his hand slid under her tank top and played with her breasts. He was vaguely aware that she was ripping his shirt open and her hands were sliding under his undershirt. Without breaking their deep kiss, he pulled his jacket and destroyed dress shirt off, letting them drop carelessly to the floor.

He finally had to break the kiss to yank her top over her head and she removed his undershirt. Their pants soon followed their shirts in the discard pile, while their mouths greedily devoured each other. Their hands roamed over each other's bodies, touching and feeling.

Their growls and moans were the only sounds in the apartment as their desire completely overrode everything else and they went at each other like animals. The primitive part of their brains was in complete control, and both of them willingly gave into it.

John was growling deep in his chest again and it was driving Joss insane with need. The sounds they made were barely human as they touched and stroked each other, each driving the other into an absolute mating frenzy.

They couldn't even make it to the bedroom; they stumbled to the living room because they simply couldn't wait any longer. John took Joss on the floor right in front of the fireplace. They tumbled to the floor, and he climbed on top of her with a guttural growl. Joss moaned as John trailed kisses down her throat to her clavicle. Joss ran her nails down his back causing him to arch his back and hiss.

John poised his cock at her entrance and gazed down for brief moment at his beloved mate. Her eyes were dilated so wide there was almost no iris left, and her chest was heaving. "Please, take me," she moaned and with one swift, sure motion John powered himself inside her. He barely heard her gasp as he plowed into her and buried himself as deeply as he could possibly go.

Joss reached down and grabbed his ass, digging her fingernails into his tight flesh, trying to pull him further into her. He was more than happy to oblige, thrusting himself as deep as he could with each stroke and grinding for more.

He felt her walls grip him tightly and he knew she was building to a very intense orgasm. He was nearly there himself and continued to pound her with everything he had while her moans and cries of pleasure urged him on. He bit into her shoulder just where it joined her neck. "John!" she cried out; it was the most erotic thing he had ever heard and he tried to ram himself deeper into her. Her body gripped him in a near stranglehold as she climaxed and he joined her only a couple of thrusts later.

He emptied his seed into her and then collapsed on top of her panting and spent. His face buried in her neck while he came down off his high. Finally he lifted his head and looked down at his mate. She was lying there with a beautiful, sated smile on her face. Gently, she kissed him.

"Wow, that was..incredible," she breathed softly. "We've had some nights to remember, but that…. Where did _that_ come from? "

John kissed her forehead. "I don't know," he answered honestly. "You were… _glowing_ and I wanted you so badly."

"I know, I wanted you too. Bad. Like, I could die if I don't have my mate in me NOW, bad."

John rolled off her and stood up stiffly. He was going to feel the effects of that desperate physical lovemaking for the next couple of days, but he didn't care. He helped Joss to her feet and held her against his body, pressing a kiss on top of her head. "I love you, Joss."

His mate held him just as tightly and nuzzled his neck. "I love you too."

* * *

A couple of weeks it became apparent what _that_ was, when the stick showed a plus sign. Joss showed John the test, "Look what you DID!" she snarled.

"I don't recall you complaining at the time!" He protested. And then John had a revelation, "The other night, you were in heat, that's why we…um…were so eager."

"But HOW?! I'm on the pill! I couldn't have been in heat!" Joss was bordering on panic. John just shook his head as he didn't know the answer to that himself.

It took a visit to Dr. Mike Cho at the Wolf Clinic to clear the "How" part up.

Dr. Cho pulled her medical records up on the screen, "It says here you took some antibiotics for a sinus infection last month."

Joss nodded, "Yeah, Dr. Cauley saw me since you weren't in and he prescribed them."

The cheerful little doctor closed the file. "Well, there's your answer. Those antibiotics rendered your BCPs ineffective. What I don't understand is why the pharmacy computer didn't pick up on the drug interaction and warn us when you picked up the prescription. I know it's caught that particular interaction before." Dr. Cho shook his head, "I'm baffled."

Both Carter and Reese had a pretty good idea why the pharmacy computer had remained silent. Joss shot the security camera on the street outside a dirty look as they left the building. John gave the camera thumbs up behind her back and the red light on the camera blinked once in what John correctly interpreted as a wink.

Joss didn't say a word the entire way home. She stared out the window, but John could feel her swirling emotions through their mating bond: the fear, the confusion, the worry, and buried deep in there, the little sliver of happiness and hope.

John was trying not to scream and run around in circles in pure joy (As a matter of fact, the next Pack Night would find him running around in circles with his tongue hanging out, howling in joy while Joss rolled her eyes.) He loved children; he'd always wanted to have some of his own, but circumstances and certain career choices had closed that door to him….. or so he'd thought. He had Taylor now, but Taylor had been a teenager when he and Joss had mated. He never saw Taylor's first smile or his first steps, never experienced Taylor's first day at school or hid a couple of dollars under his pillow from the tooth fairy.

John looked over at his mate. A badly as he wanted this baby, he did understand how she felt. Taylor would be going off to college soon; she thought she was done raising kids. She was over 40, well past prime child bearing age. They both had dangerous jobs with odd hours. In other words, Joss had a lot of very good reasons to be upset right now.

John had to admit he lived with death every day and he had already lived longer than he had expected to. While John did not actively seek death, he had gone into his current job with Finch and the numbers expecting it to eventually catch up with him. He accepted it as part of the package deal for helping people and he'd had several very close brushes with death since then. Joss had already raised one child by herself, there was the very real possibility that if they decided to go ahead and have this baby, she could wind up raising this one alone too. He looked over at her as she stared morosely out of the car window and he wondered if he even had the right to ask her to do this.

He found a parking spot not too far from the front door of the apartment building where they lived. They trudged up the stairs in silence to their floor and entered their apartment in a subdued mood.

John guided Joss to the couch and made her sit next to him. He pulled her into a tight embrace.

"We don't have to have this baby," he said, stroking her hair.

She looked up at him with tears in her eyes, "I thought you wanted the baby?"

John tenderly touched her forehead with his and looked into her eyes. "I do, believe me there is almost nothing I want more... except one thing and that's you. You're not happy about this pregnancy."

Joss fiercely swiped at the tears rolling down her cheeks. "John, I would love to give you a child; I know how bad you want one. But with our jobs, not to mention I'm too old to be having a baby, I don't see how we can do this!"

John held her tight; he really did understand. Joss was a worrier and planner. It had helped her survive while being a single mom to Taylor for nearly ten years. Just patting her on the hand and saying "It will all work out" wasn't going to cut it with her. But John wasn't sure how he was going to convince her it _was_ going to work out, because quite frankly, he had no idea _how_ it would work out.

He held her for several minutes while they both tried to figure things out. They were not making much progress when suddenly the door flew open and Finch, Fusco and Taylor all trooped into the apartment. Finch and Fusco were each toting several shopping bags, while Taylor was pushing a bassinet.

"Put the bassinet in the master bedroom, it will have to do until we get your family a larger apartment. Then help me find cabinet space for these bottles," Finch ordered Taylor briskly.

"Roger, Finch," and the teen cheerfully pushed the bassinet into John and Joss's bedroom.

Fusco headed for the kitchen, "I'll put these groceries away. Don't get up Joss, just relax. Finch and I will cook tonight." And he vanished into the next room.

Finch set his overflowing shopping bag down on the armchair and started taking off his coat before he noticed the startled deer-in-the-headlights expressions on the faces of the parents-to-be. He gave them a self-conscious grin and shuffled his feet, "Sorry, I may have gone a bit overboard when the Machine informed me that you were pregnant but I just couldn't help myself."

"Wait, the _Machine_ told you I was pregnant? And you already told Lionel and my son?" Joss yelped at the computer genius in shock and dismay.

John didn't think he had ever seen Finch blush before. Finch looked shamefaced, "Yes. Once again, I am sorry, it seems I let my enthusiasm get away from me."

John tensed, waiting for Joss's reaction. He was fully prepared for her to be frothing-at-the-mouth furious with the Machine for telling Finch and at Finch for telling Fusco and Taylor. He was not prepared for what came next.

Joss's face split into one of the biggest smiles he had ever seen and she started to laugh. She leaped up from the couch and threw her arms around the startled billionaire and delivered a rib-cracking hug and a big kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you," She told him. "For reminding me that we're not alone."

Finch, bless his heart, looked puzzled, "Of course you're not. You haven't been alone for a very long time. Now let's talk about getting you into a larger apartment, two bedrooms are not enough for your growing family. I own several properties that I think will do quite nicely…"

John just sat on the couch and grinned like an idiot. He was going to be a father!

* * *

Later that night, after a large celebratory dinner, John and Joss lay snuggled in bed together. John was still grinning like a fool, he had not stopped all night, and now Joss was too.

"So I take it you're OK with having this baby?" John asked her as he gently nibbled on her bare shoulder.

Joss's smile got bigger and she snuggled with her mate. "Yeah, more than OK actually. I just needed to be reminded that we're not alone, that it's not like when I lost Robert and had to raise Taylor by myself with only my mom for help. This baby is going to get the best of both of us, Taylor, Finch and Fusco, maybe even Shaw."

John rolled over on top of her pinning her underneath him, but careful not rest any weight on her belly, while she laughed. "Do you have any idea what this means to me?" He was suddenly very serious and the loving look in his loving blue eyes made Joss's heart leap.

Joss reached up and kissed him. "I think I have a pretty good idea."

"Joss, I'm serious. I was stuck in the dark for so long…" John was starting to get a bit agitated as he desperately wanted her to understand.

Joss gently placed a finger to his lips. "And I was alone for so long. But you're not the dark, not anymore, and I'm not alone."

Reassured that she did indeed understand what he had been trying to say, he smiled down at her with predatory gleam in his eye, "There is nothing sexier than a woman who is having your baby."

Joss's smile and the gleam in her eyes matched John's. "Unless it's the father of your baby. Come here, daddy."

Neither one got any sleep that night.

* * *

**Next Chapter: The murders begin.**


	2. Chapter 2 - Death

**WARNING: This chapter briefly describes a violent crime scene. It's more violent than my normal stuff, so I just wanted to let everyone know in case anyone is sensitive to violent images.**

* * *

**Chapter 2 - Death**

Joss and Lionel got the call just as they finished up eating lunch and were walking back to their cruiser, discussing the latest apartment Finch had shown The Carter/Reese family. Finch wanted to give them a new apartment more suited for their growing family, but Finch's idea of a suitable family home was much different than Joss's, John's and even Taylor's. Finch kept showing them huge extravagant luxury apartments in fancy buildings. Joss wanted a cozy three bedroom. John wanted a building with the security of Fort Knox. Taylor wanted close to his school and friends. The search had been dragging on for months and Joss was beginning to wonder if they would find a place that satisfied the three of them before the baby came.

"Too BIG? How can an apartment be too big?" Lionel was amazed.

"Six bedrooms and two floors is too damn big, Lionel. I don't want to have run upstairs every time the baby cries! What am I going to do with SIX bedrooms?" Joss grumbled.

"I can think of few things," Lionel grinned at her over the car roof as they were getting in.

Joss shot him a dirty look, but was prevented from saying anything further by the police radio directing them to see Detective Reyes at a crime scene uptown. Joss swung the cruiser into traffic and headed for the scene.

Lionel and Joss pulled up to the building and got out. Reyes must have been waiting just inside the front door because he immediately came hurrying out of the building towards them.

"Well, well, if isn't Detective Carter and her attack pug. 'Bout time the Homicide Task Force showed up," Reyes greeted them jovially. "How's the pregnancy going, Carter? You're looking good there. Pregnancy agrees with you."

Carter smiled, "I'm fine; I have another month before I go out on leave, then another month after that before my due date."

"Reyes," Fusco nodded. "I hear ya got a fine mess out here and ya need our help."

Reyes rolled his eyes, "Yeah we got a doozy for you. I understand you know the vic, guy by the name of Bert Gore. He's a supervisor on the docks."

Carter could help but let her lip curl into a snarl, "Yeah, I know him."*

Reyes raised his eyebrows in surprise; Carter usually didn't show such contempt for anyone, "I see you weren't fond of him."

"Let's just say he's a jerk," Carter snapped, remembering the one time she'd met him.*

"WAS a jerk," Reyes corrected her. "Right now he's a corpse. A really messy one at that."

Fusco snorted. "Can't say I'm surprised by that turn of events. He certainly wasn't popular. What happened?"

Reyes jerked his thumb at the doorway. "You better go up and see for yourself; words just can't describe it."

Fusco looked at Carter and she shrugged. She turned and walked into the building followed closely by her partner.

Carter had been a soldier in a combat zone and a cop on the streets of New York. She'd been on the Homicide Task Force for several years now and had caught the worst of the worst. She'd been shot in the stomach, nearly bled out, and turned into a Wolf, all in one night. She was mated to a Wolf who was a former CIA operative and Special Forces soldier. In her off hours she worked with her mate and his employer, a billionaire genius who had designed and built a super-secret AI that spied on everyone on the planet and stopped terrorist attacks before they happened. So she thought she had seen just about everything by now that the city of New York could throw at her.

She was wrong.

Joss stopped dead in the doorway, completely stunned. Fusco came up behind her and he could see the scene over her shoulder. "Ho. Lee. SHIT!" he gasped.

From the first moment Joss had met Bert Gore, Alpha of a small pack of Wolves that consisted almost entirely of dock workers, she knew he would wind up as one her cases. Bert was a braggart, he was insecure, he was rude and he was a bully. In short he was a lousy Alpha. And because he was a lousy Alpha, he was an unpopular Alpha. The one time Joss had been in his presence, she had felt the flaming hatred of several of his pack mates festering like an infection in the pack. The tension in the dingy little diner that the pack used as a hangout was so thick she'd had trouble breathing. She had been extremely happy to leave that horrible place behind. She had told John as they left that Bert Gore would be in her inbox at the precinct before long.

But she had no idea it would be like _this_. Some days, she hated being right and this was one of those days.

From the amount of blood splattered round the room, Gore's body must have been completely drained. He was naked and had been strung up by his ankles, hanging from a light fixture like a piece of meat in a slaughterhouse. His throat had been cut, which was probably the cause of death, but he had been carefully and methodically tortured first. His body was so covered with small wounds and burns that Joss didn't even know where to look first. In death, Gore's face had frozen in an expression of pure horror. He had died slowly and painfully.

The walls were covered in writings, in what was probably blood, in a language that Joss did not recognize, along with a strange symbol that was repeated several times. On closer inspection Joss realized that it was a wolf drawn in a manner similar to the wolves on European heraldic shields, except this one had a sword in it's chest.

"See what I mean? " Reyes said as he came up behind them. "Our boy here really pissed someone off."

"Yeah, this ain't random," Fusco agreed as he looked around the room careful not to step on any evidence.

"Any idea what the language is?" Joss asked nodding towards the writing on the wall.

Reyes shook his head, "I speak both English and Spanish, that's neither."

Joss pursed her lips, "It doesn't look like any Arabic language either."

"It's not Italian," Fusco said.

"We'll get the department translators working on it," Joss said. "Tell me what you know so far."

Reyes flipped open his notebook and began reading. "As you already know, we are in the presence of the late Albert Gore, age 48. Lived alone after his wife bailed on him about a year ago. Last seen alive getting his mail around 2pm yesterday afternoon. No one heard or saw a thing. Neighbors I talked to all seemed to hate his guts and the rest of him too." Reyes rattled off the facts standing in the middle of the horrific scene in the impersonal manner of an experienced NYPD detective.

Joss grabbed her partner's arm and whispered so that Reyes wouldn't overhear, "Fusco, I'm going to call John. Gore was an Alpha, the other Alphas should be notified."

Fusco nodded his head, looking grim, "Yeah, you're right. Go ahead, I'll start working the room."

Joss stepped into the kitchen and called her mate.

"Hi sweetheart," Despite the horrific scene in the next room she couldn't help but smile softly when she heard John's sexy near-whisper.

"Are you working on a case? Because we have a problem," Joss said.

"No, I don't have a number right now. What's wrong?" Joss could feel John immediately go tense through their mating bond.

"Bert Gore is dead. Murdered. And it's the messiest murder I think I have ever seen."

John sucked in his breath sharply, the murder of an Alpha was bad enough, but Gore's pack was not a stable or well-run pack. The rest of the Alphas would have to be careful that the pack did not go rogue and become violent. Wolves already had a reputation for being unstable and violent; something the Wolf community at large was trying to change. A rogue pack that did not follow the Wolf Code was the last thing they needed.

"What happened?" He asked.

"Gore was tortured and his throat was slit. They strung him up like a piece of meat by his ankles and used his blood to write all sorts of stuff on the walls in a language none of us recognize."

Reese got very quiet and Carter felt the sudden shift in her mate's mood. He was now apprehensive and angry. Carter got the feeling he recognized the MO.

"Does this sound like some type of Wolf murder to you?" she asked him quietly.

"I don't think this is Wolf on Wolf violence," John growled deep in this throat. "Joss, listen to me very carefully, if this is what I think it is, it's going to be very dangerous for you to work this case. Stay right by Fusco, do not go anywhere by yourself, not even to the hot dog cart in the front of the precinct. Send Finch pictures of the writings on the wall as quickly as you can. I'll call you later." And John hung up abruptly.

Joss stared at her phone in confusion just as Fusco walked into the kitchen. He raised his eyebrows when he saw the look on her face, "Something wrong with Alpha Man?"

Joss snorted at the mental picture of John with a big red A on his chest. "Yeah, I was just telling him about Gore and something got him really upset."

Fusco shrugged, "Another Alpha just got offed and that's gotta to be upsetting for him."

Joss shook her head emphatically, "No, he hated Gore. There's more to it than that; I can feel it. I think he recognizes the MO and that is what has him upset."

"Well, crap, when Alpha's upset, our caseload doubles," Fusco grumbled.

Fusco's phone buzzed and he flipped it open to read the text message. He made a sour face and put his phone away. He saw Joss's questioning look and explained, "Just your dear mate, threatening me with the usual death threats if I let anything happen to you."

Joss's eyes opened wide in surprise, "Does he do that often?"

"Just when you're danger, which is pretty much every other day." Fusco shrugged, he was used to it. To tell the truth, he thought it was pretty sweet that John looked out for her the way he did, so it had long ago ceased to bother him.

Then Fusco got thoughtful, "The point is something's got the spook spooked. Jesus, Joss, what have we got here?"

"It's got to be some sort of ritualistic murder of a Wolf, but John said he didn't think it was Wolf on Wolf violence," Joss was grim. "Get pictures of the writings on the wall and send them to Finch." Fusco nodded and went out to the living room to begin taking photos.

The coroner arrived and began photographing the body before it was cut down. Once she was done with her pictures, it took several cops to get the victim down and lay him on the gurney

"You got prelim time of death for us, CeCe?" Fusco asked.

The coroner peered at her thermometer, "From the liver temp, looks like you are looking around midnight, 1am." She continued to examine the body, "I'll know more after the autopsy, but it looks like the only fatal wound is the sliced throat. Everything else is superficial. Painful, but not fatal….wait, what's this in his mouth?"

She gently moved the victim's jaw forward and removed a small green bundle of herbs from Gore's mouth. Joss glanced at it and her nose twitched, "It's Wolf's Bane. It's supposed to repel Wolves."

CeCe looked up in surprise, "Like garlic and vampires?"

"Wolves are real, vampires aren't, but that's the idea, except it doesn't work; it's an old wives' tale," Joss replied. She found the smell unpleasant but it was hardly enough to repel her.

CeCe carefully stuffed the bundle of herbs into the evidence bag that Joss held for her. "So I take it this guy is Wolf and someone didn't like him very much."

Joss carefully sealed the bag and labeled it. "If you had met him when he was alive you would understand. But I have a feeling it wasn't his charming personality that got him strung up like a chunk of beef."

"Any idea what did?"

"Not yet," Joss growled. "But we _will_ find out."

* * *

*Joss met Gore in my story Wolves Mate for Life. It did not go well.


	3. Chapter 3 - Wolf Hunters

**Chapter 3 - Wolf Hunters**

As Joss and Lionel were driving back to their precinct, John called her.

"Where are you?" he demanded forcefully in full Alpha mode.

Despite the fact she was in human form and not Wolf, Joss felt her hackles raise at John's tone of voice. "Don't worry I'm not alone, _Alpha_. Where have _you_ been?"

In the seat next to her, Fusco seriously considered bailing out of the car even though it was in motion. He knew that tone of voice Joss was using meant he was about to witness yet another Alpha Argument.

"I've been calling the other Alphas," came the curt response. "We need to talk, meet me at the library, now."

"We're on our way," Joss snapped and slammed her phone shut.

_Oh goody_, thought Fusco, _I get to witness the argument in person now. At least Finch will be there too._

Joss and Lionel reached the library. Joss stormed in while Lionel followed at what he hoped was a safe distance.

They found John in the computer room with Finch looking the pictures that Fuso had sent earlier.

Joss stood in front of John with her arms crossed and her eyes hard and angry. "What do we have here, John?" Joss demanded of her mate.

"Wolf Hunters," John said shortly. "Probably from Hungary by the looks of the writing on the wall." Joss and Lionel both gaped at him, temporarily unable to say anything.

Finch turned in his chair and looked up questioningly at Reese, "Wolf Hunters? I have never heard of such a thing."

Reese sat down wearily in another chair, "They're just what they sound like, non-Wolf humans who hunt and kill Wolves."

Finch was wide-eyed. "I was aware that there was a considerable amount of prejudice and discrimination against Wolves, but I was not aware there were those that actively _hunted_ you like animals."

John nodded grimly, "They think we are animals, Finch. Remember how I once told you that there were whole portions of Europe where there were no Wolves because they had been wiped out?"

Finch nodded, "Yes, but I thought you meant they had been killed by neighbors who were tired of being bullied by the Wolves, not by organized genocide."

John nodded, "Mostly yes; it wasn't organized, but there were areas where killing Wolves became a sort of the national sport. Romania was particularly bad."

John got up from his chair and began pacing the room, clearly agitated. But his voice remained quiet and even. "I suppose you know that according to some old legends Wolves are considered to be servants of the Devil?"

Finch blinked rapidly, "Yes, folklorists think it's because of your upright ears, they vaguely resemble the horns of the devil." Finch looked down at Bear, dozing at his feet, "Sorry, Bear." The dog just looked confused.

John continued pacing. "There was a Hungarian orthodox bishop about a century ago who preached that Christ couldn't return to Earth until all Wolves had been destroyed since we were the servants of the devil. Some of the zealots decided to take matters into their own hands and began an organized effort to destroy any Wolves they could find, even peaceful ones. There are regions in Eastern Europe where the Wolf population was systematically wiped out."

Finch looked sick, "So lacking Wolves to kill in their home country, they have moved to New York to continue their work."

"It looks that way. And this time, my mate and my child are on the front lines," John's face was as intense as Finch had ever seen it. John turned to his mate who had been listening quietly throughout the exchange with Finch, "You need to start your maternity leave NOW. We need to get you out of town and far from these killers."

Harold chimed in helpfully, "I have properties in several other cities and you could go just about anywhere you wanted."

As Joss had listened to John describe Wolf Hunters and their mission, she had suddenly understood why John had been so abrupt earlier. This danger was very real to them and their pack, their friends. And John wanted her to run away.

Oh HELL no!

Joss lifted her chin in defiance and spoke firmly. "I have another month before my maternity leave starts and I wouldn't show my backside to these bastards anyway. I have to catch them before the baby's born. She's Wolf and I don't want to bring her into the world with these people running around in it."

At this point Harold and Lionel decided to vacate the premises. Bear looked at John, then at Joss, then hastily followed them.

John stared at her with his most intense expression, "Joss, these people are dangerous and you are an extra inviting target, you're pregnant and you are the detective on this case, we have to assume that you're on their radar now."

Joss met her mate's intense stare with one of her own. "I've been a soldier in a war zone. I'm a cop and a damn good one. I have you and Lionel and the whole pack. I'm _not_ easy pickings."

"There's more than just you at stake here," John laid a hand on her swollen belly. "Think of the baby."

"Don't you think I am! These bastards will kill her if we don't catch them!" Joss laid a hand over John's and looked up into his eyes. "You can't expect me to run and hide from that."

"Do you know what they will do to you if they get a hold of you?" John voice was low and rough, tears pooling in his eyes.

Joss closed her eyes and nodded as the image of a bloodied Bert Gore crossed her mind. "Our lives are never safe, John, you know that. We chose this life because we wanted to make a difference, and I've never wavered. I won't start now. I can't."

Joss had expected John to continue to fight her, but instead he pulled her into a tight embrace. "I've already lost so many people I care about; I can't lose you too," then his voice broke.

Joss held her mate for a few minutes and buried her face in his chest. Finally she looked up at him, "I'll be careful, I promise, but I can't just walk away from this. There is someone out there killing Wolves; I can't sit on the sidelines while there is a threat to my family and my friends."

John buried his face in her hair, and sighed. He knew her; he knew she couldn't walk away from this case any more than he could. Her courage and determination to do the right thing was why he chose her and why she held his heart in her hands.

He held her tightly while he brought his raging emotions under control. Then he kissed her on top of her head, "Stay close to Fusco, don't go anywhere, and I mean _anywhere_, by yourself. Can you at least do that for me?"

She looked up and nodded.

"That's my girl," he said softly.

She kissed him and patted her swollen belly, "I won't let anything happen to our little girl."

John dropped to his knees and kissed Joss's round stomach. "Take good care of your momma for me," he whispered softly. Joss gently stroked his hair while he rested his cheek against her tummy.

After a few minutes, John stood up and Joss called out, "You guys can come out now!"

Lionel and Harold peered around a bookcase and walked carefully into the computer room. They looked relieved to see the Alpha Argument was over.

"Come on, Fusco, we need to get back to work." Joss started walking to the stairs. When she reached the steps, just before she started descending, she looked up at John and shot him a reassuring smile, then she vanished down the stairs.

John stared at her until she was out of sight, his face an unreadable mask. Finch watched him carefully, fully aware that this case was different from all the others. As the lead detective on the case, Jocelyn and her unborn child could very well be squarely in the crosshairs of a group of zealous killers. His stomach clenched with fear at the thought.

Finch tried to be reassuring for his friend. "John, she is fully capable of taking care of herself, and Fusco will have her back the entire time. You know he will take a bullet for her and the baby if came to that."

John glared at his employer, "You sound like her now," the growl was from deep in his throat, the most menacing Finch had ever heard from his operative.

But Finch met Reese's hard stare calmly; he was used to his dangerous employee. "I am merely trying to reassure you that Joss is not a very vulnerable target for these Wolf Hunters."

"She's carrying a Wolf cub, a Born Alpha. Wolf Hunters have special things they do to pregnant she Wolves. They like to cut the baby out and kill it while the mother is still alive," John whispered.

Finch blanched at that. "Oh my god," he gasped in horror.

"My first tour of duty with Kara in the CIA was in Hungary. I saw some things there that make what happened to Gore look like child's play."

"John, if you could convince her to go, I do have properties in other cities…"

John shook his head unhappily. "No, she won't go. She can't walk away while there is a Wolf Hunter out there, Finch. She can't walk away any more than I could."

Finch nodded. He was quite familiar with Detective Carter's stubbornness and protective instinct that were matched only by John's. But he couldn't help but wish she would let it go just this one time, for the baby's, and for John's, sake. Losing her would destroy John.

John had been through so much in his life, first losing his parents in a violent murder, followed by a campaign of lies and rumors that caused the pack that should have welcomed him as their Alpha to reject him, then having to let go of the woman he had loved to return to army after 9/11, getting recruited into the CIA and partnered with a psychopath, having his own country try to kill him and then discovering that that his love had murdered by her own husband. It was no wonder that John had been well on his way to killing himself by alcohol poisoning when Finch had offered him a chance at redemption.

When Finch had first recruited Reese, he had thought of him as nothing more than a useful employee; a tool for saving innocent lives. But over time Finch had come to know the good man that was still within Reese and had come to consider that man a dear and close friend. Finch had watched in wonder while John had slowly recovered and mended his broken soul. He found his true purpose in life, preventing bad things from happening to good people. He had even accepted a chance to become an Alpha again.

But love had remained elusive. For the first couple of years, John simply was not capable of loving anyone, his own self-loathing got in the way. He had made tentative steps to have a relationship with Zoe Morgan, but ultimately the relationship floundered. Due to the nature of their respective jobs, they had to keep too many secrets from each other in order to have a meaningful partnership.

Then a small miracle had happened, Joss Carter, the woman that John had idolized and placed on a pedestal, had jumped off her lofty perch straight into John's arms and made it clear to him that she was not taking No for an answer. Joss shared John's need to protect people and she was fully on board with the mission to save the numbers; there were no secrets between them. Finch, not being Wolf, really didn't fully understand the bond they shared, but he knew it was deeply embedded in both of them.

Now, with Joss's pregnancy, everything John had ever dreamed of having was within his grasp, and New York was being stalked a group of violent killers who rip that hard won happiness away. John would never survive losing Joss and the baby, that would just be too much for him. Losing Joss meant losing John as well, Finch was well aware of that...

John's voice brought Finch out of his reverie, "Finch, why didn't the Machine didn't give us Gore's number?"

Finch turned back to his screens. "It must not have been planned, it must have been spur of the moment," he said thoughtfully.

"So the killers just saw Bert walking down the street, followed him home and killed him?" John sounded incredulous, like he didn't think that was a very likely scenario.

"Yes, something like that..." Finch's voice trailed off while he was lost in thought. It was the only reason he could think of for the machine's silence, but the idea that the Machine could not predict the Wolf Hunters's moves scared him badly.

* * *

Finch was not the only one who was unhappy that the Machine had not been able to predict Gore's death. The Machine itself had been listening into the entire conversation and it was quite concerned about the new threat to its assets. It had found the Wolf assets highly effective and efficient and the Machine was very invested in keeping them functioning at their usual high rate of performance.

The Machine began an in-depth analysis of the threat posed by Wolf Hunters. Once the analysis was completed it would make the necessary changes to the predictive algorithms and alert the Admin to additional threats. But this could take time….


	4. Chapter 4 - Lone Wolf

**I Forgot to put the disclaimer out there, here goes. I don't own Person of Interest or any of the character from the show, no matter how much I wish I did!**

* * *

**Chapter 4 – Lone Wolf**

Two days later it happened again. Once again it was Detective Reyes who called them in.

"Another one?" Fusco growled unhappily at Reyes as he climbed out of the car.

Reyes merely shrugged, "Yeah, I wish your killers would off Wolves in someone else's precinct for change." He turned and walked into the building, followed by Fusco and Carter.

They trooped up to the second floor and into an apartment at the end of the hallway. A familiar sight greeted them: the victim was strung up in a manner identical to Bert Gore. The writing on the wall was also identical and again there was blood everywhere.

Reyes flipped open his notebook and began reading. "Meet Lawrence Talbot, age 69. Wife died from cancer about 19 months ago and he has lived here alone since. Has a daughter living in Brooklyn who visited regularly. Seen alive last night around 8 as he returned home from the grocery store by a neighbor. No one heard or saw a thing again. Found at 6 am when another neighbor was going to work, saw the front door ajar, and investigated."

Fusco bent over to look at the victim's face, "Hey Joss, I don't recognize this guy. You've had more contacts with the other packs; you recall seeing him before?"

Carter frowned, the little furrow appearing between her eyebrows like it did when she was perplexed. "Nope, and the name doesn't sound familiar, but I don't know every Wolf in the city either."

Reyes shook his head, "None of the neighbors said anything about him being a Wolf. Think the killer made a mistake? Or maybe they aren't really looking to kill Wolves?"

"The writing on the wall is identical to the writing from Bert Gore's home. It's pretty clear that whoever did this thought Talbot was Wolf for some reason." Carter turned towards the door, "I'm going to talk to the neighbors again. Call me when CeCe gets here."

Fusco stated the process of gathering evidence while Joss interviewed the neighbors. None of the neighbors thought Talbot was Wolf and were quite surprised to be asked the question. Apparently, Talbot had never done or said anything to make even the nosiest of neighbors suspect he was anything other than a normal human.

"If he was Wolf, he hid it well," Joss told Fusco as they watched the coroner and a couple of uniforms cut Talbot down.

Fusco shrugged, "Not everyone enjoys being a Wolf like we do. Some of the older pack members have told me that the older generation ran into so much discrimination that many of them went incognito as much as they could. Stephanie Mayer said she once went three years without morphing, just because she didn't feel safe in the back water town where she was living at the time. I would imagine that many years of hiding would make ya pretty good at it."

CeCe frowned, "So this guy's another Wolf or not?"

Joss shrugged, "You tell us. Looks like he could be what we call a Lone Wolf, that's a Wolf who doesn't run with a pack. We'll need a rush on the blood test."

"You got it, Jossie. I'll do it as soon as we get the body back to the morgue." CeCe carefully checked his mouth. "Wolfsbane is present again," she announced holding up a bundle of herbs. She placed it in an evidence bag that Joss handed her and then she and her partner wheeled the body away.

Joss watched them go and then looked over at her partner. "I think we need to take a trip to Brooklyn and talk to Talbot's daughter."

"You're driving," Fusco grinned.

"Don't I always?" Carter sighed and rolled her eyes.

Joss's phone rang they were en route to Brooklyn and, seeing that it was CeCe calling, she put it on speaker so Fusco could hear. "Just ran the blood test, your boy _is_ Wolf," the ME reported.

"Thanks CeCe." Joss hung up and turned to her partner, "so now we have a closeted Lone Wolf who is dead in a ritualistic murder."

Fusco scratched the side of head thoughtfully, "This guy was deeper in the closet than my tennis racket. If he was a Lone Wolf, how did the perps find him? Gore was easy. This guy, not so much."

Joss carefully negotiated the turn into the parking lot of the building where Talbot's daughter lived. "Let's hope Carol Talbot can shed some light on that."

Talbot's daughter Carol was a trim blonde about Joss's age. Her eyes were red from crying and her demeanor was very subdued. She obviously loved her father very much. Fusco let Carter handle the interview, she was better at this thanks to her background as an Army interrogator.

"I'm sorry we have to disturb you at this terrible time," Joss said sympathetically, "but we do have some questions we need to ask."

Carol Talbot nodded and sniffled, "Anything to help find the animals that did this to Daddy."

"Did your father have any enemies?"

Carol dabbed at her eyes with a tissue and sniffled. "Not that I know of. He led a very quiet life. He didn't get out much because he had been taking care of Mom when she was sick. He was just starting to recover from losing her. He had some friends who he met once a week for lunch and sometimes he would go down to the Senior Center at the Baptist Church to play cards."

Joss glanced at Fusco to be sure he was taking notes. "We'll check those out. Was there anything of value in the apartment?"

Carol fiddled with the crumpled tissue in her hands. "No, he gave me all of Mom's jewelry when she died. There was nothing in that apartment worth killing for. Nothing."

"Did you know your dad was Wolf?"

Carol looked startled by the question. "Yes, but it wasn't something he talked about. I asked him about it a few times. He said he wasn't a strong Wolf, he was only half Wolf, and it had brought him nothing but grief so he didn't want to be Wolf. As far I know he never changed or ran with a pack."

"Who else knew he was a Wolf?"

"Not too many people. Mom, me, my uncle George in Philly. Is that why he was killed? Because he was something he hated being?" Carol Talbot broke down sobbing.

Joss stroked the sobbing woman's arm, "We don't know anything for sure yet. We are investigating and we will get to the bottom of this I promise you."

With a visible effort, Carol Talbot brought herself under control, "Thank you. It helps to know they won't get away with this."

Carter and Fusco left Carol Talbot's apartment and went to the Senior Center where Talbot would play cards. Talbot was well-known among the staff and patrons, but one of them knew or suspected he was Wolf. They were all surprised to hear it.

It was the same story with the men Talbot had lunch with on weekly basis. They had all known Talbot for years, and they all had no idea he was Wolf. Joss and Lionel were baffled as to how the Wolf Hunters and targeted the man.

On their way to the precinct, Joss got a call from John.

"I've been calling the other Alphas," John said. "No one had ever heard of Talbot; even Nelson Curtis and Chris Galenki, who both have packs in that area. Talbot was definitely a Lone Wolf."

Joss frowned, "Then how could anyone know he was Wolf if even his local Alphas and best friends didn't?"

"I don't know," John confessed. "We're flying blind here. They seem to be picking their victims at random and on the spur of the moment, so the Machine can't anticipate their moves. And we don't even know how they pick their victims."

* * *

If the Machine was human, it would be grinding it's teeth in frustration. If had been caught off guard by the latest Wolf murder because it did not realize the Wolf Hunters were after Talbot (victim) until it was too late. Talbot (victim) was not listed anywhere as Wolf, so The Machine had realized that he was the the intended target. The Machine did not like to be caught off guard, it could not fulfill it's purpose under those conditions. The Admin would be very disappointed.

The Machine examined the situation while simultaneously sending a new number to Control, evaluating the threat of new terror cell in Germany, monitoring the meeting of a radical environmental group in California, and the activities of some avowed white supremacists in Idaho. The Wolf Hunters were proving to be difficult to find since they made most of their purchases with cash, lived in a section of the city that was not well covered with security cameras, rarely used their cell phones and didn't have a computer in their home.

But the Machine never slept and it was relentless when it came to it's purpose, so it would find them. It just had to adjust it's predictive algorithms. The adjustments were going well, it would not be long now, the analysis was nearly complete.


	5. Chapter 5 - The Alpha Meeting

**Chapter 5 – The Alpha Meeting**

Joss watched from her spot at the front of the room as the Alphas of New York trickled in. This meeting had been the idea of Captain Kennedy. He loved all that community outreach touchy-feely stuff, mostly because it looked good to the higher ups, and Kennedy wanted to be a higher up. The captain, who had taken over the precinct after Womack had been arrested in the HR sweep, decided that formally reaching out to the Wolf Community to reassure them that the NYPD was doing everything in its power would be a good way to "build bridges to oppressed minorities" and an even better way to hone his PR skills in preparation for moving up.

Joss had tried to wiggle out of it, but to her surprise, John had thought it was a good idea. "I think it will be good to get all the Alphas together in one room. Some of them may have some insight into the Wolf Hunters that I just don't have. One of them may know how they figured out Talbot was Wolf."

So Joss, against her better judgment, caved in and agreed to the meeting.

An Orthodox Jew, wearing a dark suit, hat and long beard, was the first Alpha to arrive. Close behind him, she recognized Bert Gore's Beta from that day in the diner, probably now the temporary Alpha of the dock workers' pack. Several more Alphas that Joss did not know followed him. Captain Kennedy stood by the door solemnly greeting each one as they entered. John and Shaw circulated around the room keeping an eye on things.

Joss had been surprised the John was coming to the meeting since he was still a wanted man, but he had changed out of his suit into black jeans and a black dress shirt, and was wearing his glasses from his date with Maxine Angelis. The outfit was more than enough to fool Captain Kennedy, who had been in administration for several years now, and whom Joss suspected wouldn't have recognized the Man in the Suit even if John had worn his trademark clothing.

Joss allowed her eyes to follow her mate as he circulated around the room. He stood tall and straight and moved with the grace of a natural athlete. She had to smile when she noticed that the cowlick that he so hated and she so adored had once again escaped the hair gel and waved gently in the breeze created by the ceiling fans in the meeting room. John was not going to happy next time he looked into the mirror.

John felt her eyes on him and turned towards her. She gave him a coy smile and he returned it with a smile of his own and a wink before he returned to his conversation with another Alpha.

Joss laid a hand on her belly where their child lay and nearly purred with happiness at having that Wolf in her life. She had been alone for so long; she had told herself many times that it didn't bother her, but she knew now that she had been kidding herself. Once John had blasted his way into her orderly life and turned it on its side, she knew she couldn't go back. She simply could not conceive of returning to a life without him in it. Before it had just been her and her son; now, because of him, she had a large extended family that included not only John, but Fusco, Finch and the entire pack. She had never been happier.

And now there were a bunch of Wolf Hunters running around New York, HER city, that could take her new found happiness away from her. She had to stop them, she just had to.

Her reverie was broken when she was approached by Chris Galenki, Alpha of the pack that ran in the area where Lawrence Talbot had lived and died. She smiled warmly at Chris and shook his hand. She had met him at the presentation of his newborn son a couple of months ago and she had liked him and his mate, a shy redheaded woman by the name of Andrea. They had been so proud of their newborn Alpha.

"I'm surprised you're still here," Chris said as he walked up to her.

"Really?" Joss was unsure why he would be surprised

"Yeah, you're pregnant with a Born Alpha. If John is right and we have Wolf Hunters from one of the old countries, you're one tempting target. I would have thought John would have sent you out of town. I sent Andrea and the baby to her mom's in Boston as soon as I heard about Gore."

Joss didn't want to start a fight with another Alpha, but she was not about to let that pass. "I'm not a coward, Chris…" she protested.

"I know that, but there is more than just you at stake here, Joss." Chris waved his hand at her stomach, "If the stories my grandmother told me about these Wolf Hunters are even partly true, NYC is a dangerous place to be a pregnant Wolf right now."

Joss shook her head, "I have to do my job, Chris. I have to stop them."

Chris smiled sadly, "You're a good Alpha, Jocelyn. But I still think you should hightail it out of town until these bastards are caught."

As they were talking, Bill and Bess Cross of the Harlem pack joined them. Chris greeted them warmly then excused himself to go talk to John.

Bill and Bess both embraced Joss. "You're glowing Joss; you look so beautiful. How much longer until the new Alpha makes her debut?" Bess asked.

"Two months. Two long months until I can tie my own shoes again," Joss groaned, remembering how embarrassed she was to discover after a large lunch that she could not reach a shoe lace that had come untied. Her stomach was in the way, preventing her from bending down far enough to each her own foot. She'd had to roll her chair over to Fusco's desk and ask him to lend a hand. Fusco had wisely tied her shoe without a single word and Joss had only worn slip-ons after that.

Bill laid a gentle hand on her shoulder, "Are you really the detective on the case?"

Joss glared at him, "Fusco and I both are. You aren't going to start on me too are you?"

Bill gave her a stern look that reminded her uncomfortably of her late father, "Yes, I am missy. This baby is too important to the Wolf community. We need this child."

Joss rolled her eyes while Bess did her best to surpress her laughter at her friend's exasperation. "Bill, I promise to be careful; I'm just not a sit on the sidelines kind of gal."

Bess smiled at her, "You go, girl. I know you're no coward."

Bill glared at his mate, "I know she's not a coward. But these are dangerous people; they've already killed one Alpha, and a Lone Wolf."

Bess crossed her arms and set her jaw stubbornly. Joss got the feeling that Bill saw that particular set of her jaw quite often. "Bill, you know as well as I do that Bert was no Alpha. He may have led a pack, but he was no Alpha. Joss is a real Alpha, so is John, and he won't let anything happen to his mate and baby."

Bill was not in the mood for an argument and made a sour face, "I'm going to find John." And he stalked off.

Bess slipped an arm around Joss. "Don't you listen to those men," she snorted. "You're tough; you can do this."

Joss sighed, "Thanks Bess, everyone is trying to run me out of town. John's boss is dangling all sorts of lovely properties in other cities in front of me trying to get me to go until this case is solved."

"He got anything in Miami? South Beach? I could go with you, we could have a good time down there. I hear that place is off the hook." Bess and Joss burst into laughter together as they cheerfully talked about sampling the nightlife of South Beach on Finch's dime.

Her phone buzzed, and she looked down at it. The text read _I have a lovely little 2 bedroom condo right on the beach. You could be there tomorrow._

_STOP IT_, she texted back.

Fusco interrupted Bess and Joss. "The Captain is heading over here, I think it's time to get started." Joss nodded to her captain and then caught John's eye. He began herding the other Alphas to their seats.

Everyone took a seat except John, Lionel and Sam. They loitered by the doors to the room, just in case the Wolf Hunters heard about tonight's gathering and decided to crash the meeting.

Captain Kennedy stood at the podium and waited patiently for quiet. When the room was quiet enough, he began his spiel.

"Thank you all for coming. I am glad so many of you were able to make it tonight. I want to assure the Wolf Community that we are doing everything possible to bring this case to a quick and successful conclusion.

"I'd like to introduce Detective Jocelyn Carter and her partner Lionel Fusco, the detectives on the case."

"Yes we know Jocelyn, all us Alphas know each other," Bill Cross snapped impatiently from his seat in the front row, while Bess tried to shush him. Bill had no patience for officious gasbags and he'd correctly pegged Kennedy as one even before he began speaking.

Kennedy looked over at Joss in surprise, "You're an ALPHA? Isn't that a big deal in the Wolf world?"

"Can we talk about this later?" Joss hissed at him while Fusco put his head in his hands and John and Samantha struggled to contain their laughter.

"Um, yeah," Kennedy said. "This meeting is so that we can brief the Wolf Community on the investigation and answer any questions you might have. Without endangering the investigation, of course.

"I'll turn it over to Detective Carter now."

Joss stood up. "As you all know by now, four days ago Alpha Albert Gore, was brutally murdered." She hit a key on the laptop in front of her and pictures of the writing on the wall from Gore's home were on the screen behind her.

"We found writings on the walls of his home, written in his blood. We have since translated those writing from the original Hungarian. The writings were mostly 'Wolves must die', 'Death to evil' and other sayings in that vein, along with a crude picture of a Wolf with a sword through its chest. Joss hit another key to display the picture and the assembled Alphas growled unhappily.

"Gore had been tortured before his throat was slit. We found numerous superficial cuts and burns on his body."

She saw the Alphas nod; they had all been born and raised in the Wolf Community, so they were well familiar with the stories of the Wolf Hunters and their methods.

"Yesterday we found Lawrence Talbot murdered in an identical fashion. While Gore was well known as a Wolf, Talbot was a Lone Wolf. According to his daughter he almost never changed and he had never run with a pack. At this point, we do not know why Talbot was targeted or how the Wolf Hunters knew he was Wolf. We are hoping someone here might know how the Wolf Hunters could tell Talbot was Wolf when the neighbors who had lived next door to him for many years didn't know."

Joss quickly outlined the investigation so far, she talked about how they had a task force examining records of recent immigrants from Hungary and surrounding countries, looking for anything suspicious. She also explained that they were still processing trace evidence from both crimes scenes.

In the back of the room, Reese leaned against the wall and watched his mate as she spoke, his usual smirk planted firmly on his face, but his eyes were soft. Once again, he marveled at his luck in finding this woman, his soul mate. The cold hand of fear gripped his heart as he thought about the possibility of the Wolf Hunters getting their hands on her and taking her from him forever. Between the loss of his parents and his childhood pack when he was younger and then losing Jessica, he wasn't sure if he could handle another major loss, especially _her._ She did in fact own half his soul and he was not willing to live without her.

At the front of the room Joss was too busy fielding question from the audience with Captain Kennedy to notice John's emotional turmoil. John quickly suppressed his fear before it affected her.

After the question and answer period, Kennedy made another short speech to reassure the Alphas of New York that the NYPD was taking the threat seriously and doing everything it could to find the killers as quickly as possible.

The meeting ended and the Alphas somberly filed out the room while Kennedy stood at the door and tried to shake hands with as many as possible and say "Thanks for coming." Bill and Bess snuck out of the room using a different door.

Joss moved to stand next to her mate. She was tired, she hadn't slept much since Bert Gore had died, and she hated these community outreach meetings; they exhausted her. She just wanted to lean against John and feel his comforting arm around her.

As she closed her eyes and happily leaned against her mate, John was more than happy to slide his arm around her waist and hold her to his side. He sensed her exhaustion and was just about to insist that he take her home when Yitshak Cohen, Alpha of the Brooklyn Hasidic Pack, walked up and addressed John.

"I may know how the Wolf Hunters found the Lone Wolf."

Joss held her breath and remained silent. As much as she wanted to question Cohen, she knew that Orthodox Jewish men were supposed to keep conversation with strange women to an absolute minimum. It was best if she let John handle this while she listened quietly.

John's arm tightened around Joss and he met Cohen's eyes, "I'm listening."

"My father once told me that he was nearly captured by the Nazis. Not because he looked Jewish, he had shaved his beard and cut his hair to appear as non-Jewish as possible so he could escape. No, he was almost captured because he was Wolf and the Nazis were using a Wolf child to feel for other Wolves."


	6. Chapter 6 - New Number

**Chapter 6 – New Number at Last**

Later as Shaw was briefing Finch on the meeting, she explained the implications of what Yitshak Cohen had told John.

Shaw was leaning forward intently looking Finch straight in the eye, completely unaware that Finch had heard the whole thing through John's phone and watched via the hotel security cameras. "He said the Nazis used to hunt Wolves by taking Wolf children and forcing them to feel out other Wolves so they could send them to the concentration camps." Shaw snorted her contempt for the idea and Finch raised an eyebrow at her.

Shaw shrugged at Finch's expression, "No Wolf would betray other Wolves like that."

Finch looked mildly irritated, "So we still have the question, how did the Wolf Hunters find Talbot?"

Shaw sat down in a chair and put her feet on the desk. Finch gently glared pointedly at the offending appendages and she grumpily moved them. "Good point. Think about it Finch. Talbot didn't run with any pack. According to what his daughter told Joss and Lionel, he never morphed. He only told very few people that he was Wolf and none of his friends were Wolf."

Finch rolled his eyes at Shaw's condescending tone of voice. "I understand the problem," he said dryly.

Shaw continued, oblivious to Finch's irritation. "See Finch, telling who is Wolf and who isn't can be hard, even for Wolves."

Finch looked puzzled at that. "I thought Wolves could tell when they were in the presence of another Wolf?"

Shaw leaned forward in her seat, looking rather smug. "Yeah, if you get close enough. I have to be within a couple of feet to tell, my range is kinda limited. It never bothered me, I just shot who I was supposed to and ignored the rest. Now John, he has a longer range and can tell if someone is Wolf within a couple yards, so he can walk down the street and pick out Wolves easier than I can, but still not efficiently. Lionel seems to have inherited a similar range when John turned him. Joss on the other hand is special. Finch, I've been Wolf all my life, and I've never seen anyone with her abilities before. She can tell if anyone is Wolf within a city block. That's serious power." Shaw slapped the top of the table to emphasize her point.

Finch nodded, "Yes, I am aware of her 'power' as you call it. She was very intuitive before she was turned, so John has theorized that between her already innate abilities, coupled with his strong Wolf and his rather emotional state of mind at the time he turned her, have all combined to make Detective Carter an usually sensitive Wolf."

Shaw got up and started pacing, "So the point is, if it takes a Wolf of above average power to effectively tell if someone is a Wolf by casually walking around New York, how did the Wolf Killers find Talbot?"

Finch pondered the question, "Have you ever heard of a non-Wolf who could detect Wolves?"

Shaw shook her head. "Nope, a few people like the mind readers you see in Las Vegas magic shows have claimed to be able to tell, but they have all been debunked."

"So if it takes a Wolf of some power to find other Wolves efficiently, then Mr. Cohen must be right; the Wolf Hunters must have such an individual working with them."

Shaw snorted dismissively, "I told you that's crazy talk Finch. No Wolf would do that."

Finch looked thoughtful, "Did you ever read Sherlock Holmes, Ms. Shaw?"

"Yeah, hasn't everyone?" Shaw asked.

"Remember what he once said, 'When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, _however improbable_, must be the truth'."

Shaw looked sick at that. "So you really think that Cohen is right? They may be using a Wolf to hunt down other Wolves?"

Finch nodded somberly. "As much as I hate to think about a human being used in that manner, yes, I do think it is highly probable. It's the only theory that fits the facts we have so far. Finding Wolves takes other Wolves. The Machine did not give us Gore's or Talbot's numbers, so they were spur of the moment crimes, they were not stalked. Ergo another Wolf had to have picked them out of the crowd and they were killed almost immediately."

Finch turned to the pane of glass where Talbot's and Gore's pictures hung, and studied them while he spoke. "While an adult Wolf might not cooperate with the Wolf Hunters, a child would be much easier to manipulate. They may not even be aware what the Wolf Hunters are doing to the Wolves once the child identifies them, or they may have convinced the child that the Wolves deserved their fate."

Shaw shook her head, "That poor kid."

* * *

Unbeknownst to Shaw and Finch there was an eavesdropper on their conversation; the Machine had been listening intently. It had been reviewing its logic, trying to understand what it had missed, and how it needed to adjust its predictive algorithms so it could give warning before another Wolf died. After all, its job was to protect everybody. It liked doing its job; having a purpose was important, the Admin had taught it that a long time ago.

After listening to Finch (Admin) and Shaw (Asset), The Machine now knew what it needed to do to accomplish its task. It made its adjustments carefully and began searching its database for the necessary information. It found what it was looking for and carefully cross-checked that information against the lone security camera in the lobby of Lawrence Talbot's (Victim) building and another camera at Albert Gore's (Victim) building. It knew now.

But as Finch had surmised, there was no Social Security Number. The Machine made yet another adjustment and produced a number. Satisfied it had the answer, the Machine placed a call to Finch (Admin).

* * *

The teenager glared at his older brothers. "No," he said flatly.

He didn't see the blow coming, his brother moved too fast for that. Before he knew what was coming he was backhanded across the face. _There's going to be welt there_, he thought as he dropped to his knees. No wonder his family wouldn't let him go school. They said it was because they didn't want him tainted by American culture, but he was sure it was really because someone would notice the signs of abuse and call the authorities.

One of the brothers knelt down so that he was nose to nose with the boy. "Find us a Wolf."

The teen remained defiant. "You're going to kill them."

"Yes," the older brother said, "We are. They are evil and we have to rid the world of as much evil as we can. You know that."

The teenager looked into his brother's eyes, imploring him to understand. "The old man wasn't evil, I could feel it. He just wanted to be left alone. He was sad, he missed his wife. He loved his daughter."

But his brother was in no mood to listen. The brothers' eyes all showed the gleam of the True Believer and nothing could deter them from their chosen path. A large strong hand grabbed the teen's throat and threw him against the wall. "I'm out of patience with you. If you don't find us a Wolf, you're no good to us, you're just another mouth to feed."

The teenager lay on his side, curled in a fetal position while he caught his breath. Long experience had taught him that was the best position to be in when his older brothers got violent. His face and throat hurt and he was a little dizzy from his head hitting the wall. He would have to give in and find them a Wolf, it was the only way to make the abuse stop.

He wished he could believe in the mission the way he used when he was younger. His brothers didn't hit him then and he didn't feel bad about finding Wolves to kill. "Alright, I'll find you a Wolf, Please don't hurt me."

His brother smiled and picked him up off the ground. "Good, good. We are doing God's work, we will be rewarded for this."

The teen had his doubts, but he kept his mouth shut.

* * *

The next day, Finch was walking Bear back from the dog park when the phone rang. He actually felt some relief at hearing the pay phone ring; the Machine had been so uncharacteristically quiet during the recent Wolf murders that Finch was becoming concerned.

Finch hurried to the phone and picked up the receiver, hearing the familiar collage of voices giving him the information that would lead him to the next number. He was so relieved to be hearing from the Machine after several days of silence, that it wasn't until he was back at the library assembling the information that he realized that something was very wrong.

There were only eight digits. Social Security numbers were nine digits long.


	7. Chapter 7 - Death Calls Again

**Chapter 7 - Death Calls Again**

Around the same time Finch was assembling the latest number, Joss decided to head for the library. She could feel that John was currently there and she needed her mate right then. She and Fusco had spent another fruitless morning running down leads and shaking down their CIs for information, and she was no closer to solving the case than she had been when she first saw Bert Gore strung up like a side of beef. Tiredly she turned her steps in that direction.

A cold wind was blowing down the street, made worse by the tall buildings on either side. Joss stuck her hands in her pockets and leaned into the wind. She was only a couple of blocks from the library when it happened.

Suddenly a wave of pure emotion slammed into to her, nearly forcing her to drop to her knees. She felt anger, pain, loneliness, and hopelessness all rolled into one package of misery that bludgeoned her Wolf senses like a baseball bat. She looked up in a daze and her eyes locked with the eyes of a skinny, almost emaciated teenager, younger than Taylor even, across the busy avenue staring wide-eyed at her in surprise.

But it wasn't the teen's youth or frail appearance that caused her to gasp in sickening recognition, it was his eyes. They were the same silvery blue as John's so he was probably a born Wolf from one of the Old Bloodlines. But the similarities with John didn't end there; the teen's eyes held the same pained, haunted look that John's eyes had the first night she saw him in the precinct after he took out those punks on the subway. This child had seen and done some horrible things in his life and it was slowly destroying him the same way John had nearly been destroyed by the CIA. No child should have that look in their eyes.

The teenager obviously realized that Joss had recognized him as another Wolf and he gaped at her. For a few minutes, they stared at each across the busy street, each oblivious to the crowds that passed around them. Joss opened herself up to the teen, allowing herself to feel the full force of his feelings. She realized he could feel hers too, even though four full lanes of traffic separated them.

Suddenly the teen broke eye contact and bolted like a frightened rabbit. Joss took a step to follow him, but the intensity of what had just passed between them coupled with her pregnancy, lack of sleep, and the fact she had skipped breakfast that morning proved too much, even for her, and she wobbled badly. She had to lean against a building for support while the world spun around her.

A few minutes later, John, having sensed her distress through their mating bond, was by her side.

"Baby, are you alright, what's wrong?" He asked tenderly as he held her to him.

"Dizzy, need to lie down." She gasped out.

John slipped an arm around her waist and she leaned against his side while he mostly carried her the last few blocks to the Library. Once they got there, Finch helped John take off her coat, suit jacket, and shoes and tuck her into bed in the makeshift bedroom she and John shared on nights when it wasn't convenient or safe to return home.

Once Joss was safely in bed, John sat down next to her while Finch hovered worriedly. "What happened?" John asked gently while he softly stroked her hand.

Joss told them about the troubled teenager she had seen. "John, he was in so much pain," Joss sobbed, curling into a ball. "No one, especially a child that age, should be that full of self-loathing."

"This must the poor child the Wolf Hunters are using to find their victims," Finch said sadly his eyes watering.

John continued to stroke Joss's arm and hand while he spoke, "According to Cohen, the Nazis would grab the Wolf children when they were small and raise them to believe that Wolves were bad while using their abilities to hunt other Wolves. The Wolf Hunters must have raised this one just like that, to think Wolves were bad, and the only way to redemption was to help them find and kill other Wolves." John's eyes were hard and cold. He didn't like it when anyone hurt children, and the thought that this child had been emotionally tortured his whole life by being he told he was something unholy and evil brought out the CIA assassin in Reese.

Joss continued to sob while she struggled for control. Finch quietly exited the room to the give the Wolf mates some privacy.

"Shhhh," John soothed Joss, gently caressing her back. "Get some rest; we can go out looking for him later. They won't hurt him, he's too valuable to them."

He lay down and curled protectively around her, holding her and soothing her until she was finally able to doze off.

John lay quietly, holding Joss, listening to her soft breathing. His hand traveled down to her belly and he felt the baby move, as if she was settling into a more comfortable position.

Silently, John cursed fate for bringing Wolf Hunters to the city just when his beloved mate was at her most vulnerable. This late in her pregnancy, she was unwieldy and off balance. Normally Joss moved with grace and sass, now she waddled slowly and carefully. Her small frame was being overwhelmed by the life growing inside her and it made her uncharacteristically graceless. It also made her an inviting target to those who sought to destroy his family in their misguided zeal to cleanse to the world of an enemy that wasn't an enemy at all.

The baby moved against his hand again and he could not help but smile at the miracle his mate nurtured inside her. There was no child on the planet that was more wanted and anticipated than this one. He began stroking Joss's stomach and talking softly to his child.

"Hey baby, don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you or your mom...You both mean too much to me...I will protect you both with every fiber of my being...I've had some very dark times in my life...and then your Uncle Harold and your mom lead me out into the light...I won't let the dark back in...I won't let the dark have you or your mom."

The baby, seemed reassured, settled down and was quiet.

John lay quietly for several more minutes, just enjoying holding his mate and child. Then he carefully slid off the bed and joined Finch in the computer room.

"How is Joss?" Finch looked up from his computer.

John walked over to Finch and looked over his shoulder at the screen. "She'll be fine after some rest. That teenager really threw her; he must have abilities like hers. I just wish she would sit this one out before she really gets hurt."

Finch turned his chair from his computer so he could face John. "Warriors are those who choose to stand between their enemy and all that he loves or holds sacred," he quoted. "That's you and Detective Carter in a nutshell, Mr. Reese. That's why you picked her, even before you two bonded; you understood each other on a level that the rest of us simply cannot comprehend."

John gave his friend a tiny smile. "I know that, Finch. It's just that it's tough when she and the baby are the things I hold sacred and she won't let me stand between her and the dark." John decided to change the topic. "Have you figured out why the Machine only gave you eight digits this time?"

Finch shook his head and turned back to his computer, "I know it's not a Social Security number this time, the difficult part is figuring out what kind of number it is."

John crossed his arms. "Why wouldn't it just give us a Social Security number?" he asked irritably. Sometimes the Machine drive him insane with it's riddles, and with his mate and child on the front lines, John was even less patient.

"My working hypothesis is that the person in question does not have a Social Security number for some reason, so the Machine has given us a different number that will identify the person, once we figure out what the number is."

John growled in frustration. "Can it be a driver's license number?"

"That is a very likely candidate, but New York driver's license numbers are nine digits. However there are several states that use an eight digit format, the closest state being Pennsylvania. I am currently hacking into their database to see if there is a match."

"Hack fast, Finch. I don't think we have much time before they strike again."

* * *

John was right, as John usually was about these things. That night another Wolf was murdered.

Fusco and Carter got the call first thing in the morning, before they even had time to boot their computers and get their morning coffee.

This time the officer who called in the murder was a highly experienced patrolman that Fusco was familiar with by the name of Cray. With a sickening feeling, they realized they recognized the address.

"Detectives," the middle aged patrolman greeted them as soon as they arrived. "Looks like we've got another one of those Wolf murders for you." Joss felt her stomach do a somersault and she was glad she hadn't had time for breakfast that morning; it had been a long time since she had thrown up at a crime scene.

As they walked down the hallway, they heard screaming and crying coming from one of the apartments. Fusco and Carter looked questioningly at Officer Cray. "Victim's roommate. She found the body and she's pretty hysterical. Neighbor is trying to calm her but has her hands full."

Carter jerked her head in the direction of the apartment, "Fusco, go see if you can help. I'll check out the murder scene."

Fusco nodded and entered the apartment where the screams originated from while Joss followed Cray to the scene of the crime.

They entered the apartment and found the scene identical to the others except this time the victim was a young woman. Joss stood and looked at the victim sadly and bowed her head while she fought back tears.

Cray stood next to her, "Her name was Patty Dryer. She was a legal secretary at Bean, Weathers and Brittney. Her roommate found her like this when she came home from spending the night at her boyfriend's. She had only graduated and gotten her job seven months ago. She was twenty three years old." Cray spoke quietly and sadly. He was not Wolf, but he had a daughter not much younger than this victim.

"I know," Joss said just as softly. "She was a member of my pack."

Joss walked slowly out of the apartment, her head spinning. She leaned against the wall in the hallway just outside the door and gathered herself. She took a few deep breaths and blinked back tears. She and Patty Dryer had gotten off to a bad start the night John had presented Joss to his pack as his new mate; Patty and her roommate had been part of a small group of she Wolves who had glared at Joss during the presentation, angry that their handsome and highly desirable Alpha was no longer available. They had done their best to make her feel uncomfortable until John had slapped them down.

But Patty was pack, and after that night, she had been a good pack member. Joss had actually been coming around to liking the young woman.

Joss pulled her phone out of her pocket and dialed John. The pack needed to know.

"I hope you have good news for me," John answered.

Joss choked back more tears. "No, love. It's bad. There's been another murder."

John sucked his breath, this one was different, he could feel it in Joss's grief. "Tell me," he commanded softly but forcefully.

"John, it's Patty, she's dead."

Joss felt her mate's shock, grief and pain through their mating bond. She closed her eyes and tried to send as much love and comfort through their bond as she could. But deep inside, she knew nothing could console an Alpha who had lost a pack member in such a horrific manner.

"Was it the Wolf Hunters?" John voice was flat and emotionless. He had retreated into what Joss called Operative Mode, as he often did when a case touched him in an overly emotionally manner.

"Yes, it was. Kelsey wasn't home last night; Patty was alone."

"Kelsey's OK?" Joss felt John's relief. The whole pack knew Kelsey and Patty were roommates.

"Yeah, Lionel is with her now then he's going to take her to Stephanie's."

"Good, Steph will take good care of her." Stephanie Mayer was the unofficial pack grandma. Stephanie had the kind of cheerful soothing presence Joss would want around if she were in Kelsey's position.

Joss rested her forehead against the wall, "How is Finch coming on that number?"

"It's a not a Pennsylvania or Vermont driver's license number. He's hacking a couple of other states."

CeCe and her partner wheeled a gurney past Joss. "I have to go. The ME is here."

"Be careful," John said softly.

Joss smiled, "I'd say you too, but I know you won't."

John felt her smile through their bond and returned it. "That's OK, I know you won't be either."

Joss hung up and took a couple of deep breaths to steel herself to return to the apartment where her pack mate still hung from the light fixture.

CeCe looked over at Carter as she entered the living room. "Officer Cray said you knew the vic. I'm sorry, Joss."

Carter positioned herself so that her back was to the body. "Thanks CeCe. What can you tell me?"

"Not much that you haven't already heard. Looks like the victim died around 1am. Same signs of torture as the other two, same slit throat. The difference is the bruising on the upper thighs…"

Carter closed her eyes and beat back a wave of nausea; she knew what bruising in that area usually meant. "Be sure you get a rape kit."

CeCe nodded, "It's not my first time at this particular rodeo, hon. If the perp was stupid enough not to use precautions, I'll get you a DNA sample."

"Thanks." Joss kept looking everywhere but at the body of her pack mate.

CeCe laid a kind hand on her arm. "Why don't you go talk to the neighbors while we process the victim? You don't need to see this."

Joss nodded went to check on Lionel and Patty's roommate. Kelsey was no longer hysterical, but still sobbed uncontrollably. As soon as Kelsey saw Joss, she threw herself in her Alpha's arms. "Why? Why Patty?" she kept repeating over and over again. Joss had no answers, all she could do was hug the sobbing young woman and swear to her that they would catch the person responsible.

Lionel left soon after, taking Kelsey to Stephanie's and Carter joined Officer Cray in questioning the neighbors. Once again, no one had heard or seen anything. Patty Dyer was last seen alive coming home from work around 6:30.

Joss's phone buzzed as she was wrapping up questioning, It was Lionel. "You going to be OK for a while? Kelsey is really freaking out and I think I should stay with her and Stephanie until Rulon and Layla get here." Rulon was Stephanie's son, six feet tall, six feet wide and as gentle as a kitten. Layla was Rulon's mate; Carter had extracted her from an abusive relationship during a case the previous year and she and Rulon had fallen in love shortly after.

"Yeah, do what you need to. I have a lead I'm going to follow up on."

Fusco made a low growling noise in the back of his throat the Joss knew meant he was unhappy. That did not fit with his orders from his Alpha. "Don't go trotting around by yourself Joss. Alpha says…"

Joss cut him off irritably, "I know what he says, Lionel. I'll be fine; I promise." She hung up, knowing that Fusco was already dialing John to alert him that Joss was about to defy his orders. She had very little time until her fiercely protective mate came charging over here to watch over her. What she needed to do, she needed to do alone.

"Hey, Cray, I need ride. Fusco is going to be tied up for a while."

Officer Cray nodded affably, "Sure, no problem, detective. My car is right downstairs." Joss followed him down the stairs and out into the sunlight.


	8. Chapter 8 – The Wolf Child

**Chapter 8 – The Wolf Child**

Joss decided to return to the spot she saw the teen Wolf to begin her search. Cray dropped her off on the corner and she walked to the spot where she had last seen him and stood still while she closed her eyes and opened her Wolf senses to their fullest extent.

It took her a few minutes to sort through all the information. Manhattan is a densely populated area, and though Wolves were only a small percentage of the population, there were still quite a few Wolves within her range. After several minutes, she was able to hone in on the one that felt the most like the youth she had seen the previous day.

She felt John through their mating bond, searching for her. Joss had learned long ago how to the dial back the intensity of the connection; it allowed her to save her sanity when John was doing something, like "interrogating" a suspect that could upset her. It also allowed John to do his job without her emotions distracting him. Joss turned down the connection for now; she didn't need John showing up and scaring the kid when she was so close.

She rapidly began walking in the direction of the teenager. She found him in an alley huddled behind a dumpster with his knees drawn up to his chest and his arms wrapped round his legs, hugging them tightly to his body. As she stepped around the dumpster, he looked up at her with wide terrified eyes. Joss sent soothing vibes to him and, using the dumpster for leverage, lowered herself down so she was eye level with the kid. She was careful not to crowd the frightened child and she left him plenty of room to bolt if he needed to.

"Hi there," she said, keeping her voice soft and soothing. "I'm Joss, who are you?"

The boy kept his arms around his legs, hugging them to his body, looking at her over his knees. "Don't hurt me, please." He spoke with a heavy Eastern European accent.

"I won't hurt you, I promise. I have a son around your age." Joss assured the boy.

"You're Wolf." It was more of an accusation than anything else.

Joss maintained her calm. "Yes, I am. You are too."

The child would not look at her. "Wolves are bad. Wolves are born to serve evil."

Joss was stunned by the matter of fact way the boy said that. "How can you think that? You're Wolf," she asked keeping her voice low, warm and friendly.

"My family says so. They say Wolves are sinners." The teen continued to stare straight ahead, refusing to look at her like she was some sort of evil temptress.

Joss tilted her head to one side and frowned. "Your family isn't Wolf?"

The teen continued to refuse to look at her. "No, they took me in and gave me a home when my parents died," he stated flatly

"Oh, I see, you're adopted." Joss knew he probably wasn't adopted in any official sense, nor had his "family" done it out of love or concern.

The boy simply shrugged.

"What's your name?" Joss probed gently again.

"Tibor."

"No last name?"

"No, no last name. My family does not want a Wolf using their name, so I am just Tibor."

"Well Tibor, I know you can feel me; do I feel bad to you?"

"No, you feel…nice. You care about me." The boy looked surprised as he realized that. He finally looked at her.

Joss smiled at him, glad to finally have a reaction from him. "Yeah, of course I do. You look like you could use a friend."

The child's large blue eyes looked so sad, Joss physically hurt for him. "I have no friends."

Joss smiled again. "Well I'll be your friend. I like having friends."

Tibor seemed almost puzzled by the idea that Joss, a Wolf, would have friends. "Do you have lots of friends?"

"I have a whole pack full."

"You have a pack?" The boy's eyes opened wide in wonder. Joss struggled to keep her anger in check, his adoptive family must have kept him completely isolated from his people.

Joss nodded and kept her voice soft, willing herself to betray no trace of the anger she was feeling, "Yes, and they are good people who will be friends with you if you want. They're not evil at all; you'll see."

Tibor finally let go of his legs and Joss could see his thin body. Dear God, didn't his family ever feed this child? Joss was familiar with how growth spurts could make a child look awkward and thin; Taylor had gone through a couple of gangly stages in his early teens, but this kid looked like a concentration camp survivor.

"Are you the Alpha?" Tibor asked eagerly, turning in her direction. "I have never met an Alpha before."

Joss beamed at the kid, now they were getting somewhere. "Yes, I'm an Alpha." She wondered if she should call John, if Tibor wanted to meet an Alpha, there was an Alpha for him, but decided that John's imposing presence might be too much for the shy child. Joss was shorter than Tibor, and looked very non-threatening, but John would tower over him. Not to mention his vaguely menacing air would probably terrify the skittish teen.

"You know Tibor, this alley smells bad. How about we go somewhere else and I buy you some lunch?"

Tibor looked hesitant, so Joss upped the ante "I'll buy you a burger," she said in a wheedling tone of voice.

Tibor's eyes lit up, "I have not had a hamburger. I have always wanted one."

Joss held out her hand, "Well then, I think we need to get going."

Tibor shrank from Joss's hand in a gesture that was characteristic of an abused child. Joss looked at him sharply but kept her voice soft and gentle, "Does your family hurt you?"

Tibor hung his head, "I am bad."

Joss shook her head, "I don't think you're bad." And she wagged her hand at him in a "come on" gesture.

He looked shyly at her, then slowly reached out to take her hand.

Joss took Tibor around the corner to the local diner and ordered him the biggest burger they had on the menu and watched in amusement as he gulped it down.

"You remind me of my son the way you eat," she smiled at him.

"You have other children?" Tibor asked pointing to her stomach.

"Yes, I have son who's a couple years older than you. And this," Joss patted her belly, "Is a little girl."

"You have a mate?"

Joss smiled fondly, thinking of John. "Yes, I have the most wonderful mate in the world. I love him very much. He's saved my life several times. Tell me about your family Tibor."

Tibor looked down at the table and sadly shrugged. "I have a mother and four older brothers. They don't like Wolves. They don't like me."

Joss's heart hurt for the poor lost little Wolf sitting across the table from her. This poor child had probably never known love.

"How long have you been in this country?"

"Mama and I have been here for a year. I learn English and I learn my way around New York. My brothers have only been here for a few weeks. They do not know English yet."

Tibor glanced up at the clock and suddenly leaped up, "I am late; I must go. Thank you, nice lady." And he ran out the door.

Joss briefly considered chasing after him, but knew in her current condition she had no hope of catching him. Heck, even if she hadn't been pregnant, she probably would have trouble catching the fleet footed teen.

She paid the tab and made her way to the library. She needed to tell the rest of the team about this.

When she got to the library, John was breathing fire in his quiet, menacing way. "Where have you been?" he demanded. Joss was about snarl back at him when she realized that what she was feeling through their mating bond wasn't anger, it was worry and fear.

Joss stood up on her toes and kissed her mate gently, "I'm sorry I worried you, baby. But I needed to find that Wolf child. And I did."

John grabbed her upper arms in vise like grip and looked her in the eyes, "You went out looking for the Wolf Hunters ALONE?" Joss could tell he was making a Herculean effort not to lose his temper right then and there. His eyes were as hard and cold as she had ever seen them and his lips had vanished in a thin line.

Joss tried to reassure hr mate. "John, it was just the child and he was alone. I was perfectly safe, I promise."

With a visible effort John released her and stepped back. "Tell us what happened," he commanded.

Joss told them about Tibor, how he was raised by the Wolf Hunters, just as Cohen had surmised, and how they'd treated him horribly, forcing him to cooperate.

Finch looked thoughtful. "He's only been here for a year? And members of his family have only been here a few weeks? Mr Reese, I think I know what our eight digit number is!" Finch exclaimed.

"What is it, Finch?"

Finch smiled in triumph. "A visa number."

Finch sat down at his computer and began typing furiously. "It will take awhile to hack the immigration database, but I should have the information by tomorrow morning."

Reese growled impatiently, "Another Wolf could be dead by tomorrow Finch!"

Finch stopped typing and looked over at Reese impassively, "It takes however long it takes, Mr. Reese. The immigration database is particularly secure. I'll do my best, but it will take time."

"Let me know when you find something." And John dragged Joss away from the computer room to their makeshift bedroom on the next floor. Once they safety inside the room with the door shut John grabbed Joss into tight hug and buried his face in her hair.

"John, you're going to squeeze the baby out of me," she was barely able to gasp out.

John did not release his hold. "Do you have any idea how scared I was when I found out you were wandering the streets alone? You promised me that you wouldn't do that!"

Joss wrapped her arms around her mate's waist and tried to hug him back to reassure him. "John, it was the only way I could find Tibor and get him to talk to me. If I had you or Fusco with me, he would have been too scared."

John finally released her and held her face in between his hands, forcing her to look into his eyes. "Promise you won't do that again," he asked while his thumbs gently stroked her cheeks.

Joss looked into to his eyes, "John, he's our only lead so far!"

John shook his head. "Finch will have the Visa information soon. You don't need to put yourself in danger again. Shaw and I can take it from here."

Joss would have protested further but John began kissing her and she soon lost the ability to think straight.

* * *

Tibor sat a few blocks away, waiting for his family while he tried to make sense of what had happened that day. He had not met very many Wolves, he usually just pointed them out to his family and then went home while they punished the sinners. But lately everything had felt so WRONG. Tibor's power was growing, he was feeling more and more emotions from the Wolf People, and he was starting to understand that they weren't as evil as his family had led him to believe. He had been having doubts about his family's work for some time now.

Tibor had been told his entire life by his family that Wolves were unredeemable murderers. They taught him that to be born Wolf to be born evil. Wolves served the Devil, and they were to hunted and killed so the Savior could return. But, as Tibor searched his memory, he could think of single Wolf he had felt any evil emulating from. He could not think of a single murder that he knew of had been traced back to a Wolf. But he knew of many murders that his family had committed. The more he thought about it, the less sense it made.

As Tibor began to question his family's mission", they reacted with violence and threats. They hit him. They withheld food. They hinted to him if he didn't cooperate they get rid of him and find another Wolf child who would be more willing to find redemption in their work. Tibor learned to keep his questions to himself, but he still had questions and they gnawed at his battered conscience.

He thought back the Wolves his family had killed since they had been in New York. The first one had recognized them was Wolf Hunters and was so terrified that Tibor had to run far away while his older brothers killed him. The second one, the old man, had been calm and accepting, but Tibor remembered all the photographs scattered through the apartment. Pictures of him and a family at various ages and in various locations. The whole family looked happy. Then there was young woman who had begged to be allowed to live. Tibor sensed that this woman would not have hurt a fly, but his brothers brutalized her even worse than the two men. They seemed to enjoy it and there was something very wrong about that. If Wolves were evil because they killed, what did that make his family who enjoyed killing? What did that make _him_?

Today, he had a chance to actually talk with another Wolf. Jocelyn was nice, she cared about him even though she had just met him. She cared for him more than his own family did, and it puzzled him. All his life he had been told that Wolves were pure evil and must be destroyed at all costs. But Tibor now knew that wasn't true, and he was confused.

Truthfully, Tibor hadn't felt any evil from any of the Wolves of New York since he had been here. They loved, they grieved, they laughed and they cried, just like everyone else. His family had lied to him all these years, so who were the real sinners? He didn't like the answer he got.

Tibor allowed his feelings to wander until he was in touch with Jocelyn again, but she wasn't alone, she was with her mate. He could feel the loving bond they shared and he gasped out loud at the power of it. This was not evil; this was love.

Tibor was no longer confused. Everything was very clear to him now.

Tibor felt the strength of Jocelyn's mate and a plan began to form in his mind. It was time to put an end to the evil he had aided and abetted, and in a flash he knew exactly how to do it. He felt like a great weight had lifted off his thin shoulders and he knew peace for the first time in his life. He knew what the right thing to do was and he was ready to do it.


	9. Chapter 9 - Kidnapped

**Chapter 9- Kidnapped**

"Feel better?" John asked as he gently massaged his mate's back later that evening.

"Mhmmm." Joss purred as she lay on her side, naked and facing away from John while he rubbed her aching back. Her normally slender body was not used to carrying all that weight so far forward and her lower back had recently taken to protesting its extra duties on a regular basis. Fortunately, John's large, strong hands were tailor made for soothing back rubs and he was more than happy to oblige her whenever she asked.

Dr. Cho had assured them at Joss's appointment earlier that day the baby was growing and developing normally and Joss was as healthy as the proverbial horse.

"She's certainly eating like one," John had teased her, earning him a sharp poke in the ribs.

Dr. Cho grinned widely at his Alphas. "Whatever you're doing, keep it up. I couldn't be happier with how well this pregnancy is going. It's been textbook so far, let's keep it that way."

Carter and Reese had left the Wolf Clinic in an elated mood. To celebrate, John had taken Joss to their favorite Indian restaurant, where the stout little owner happily stuffed Joss with all sorts of healthy vegetarian fare. Then they returned to Joss's apartment for the back rub John was now giving her and a good night's sleep.

John eyes roamed over his mate's body as he massaged her back. She complained that she looked fat and gross, but as far as he was concerned, she was absolutely perfect. Her breasts were growing along with her belly, and her skin, normally very soft and smooth anyway, was positively glowing.

John lay down behind her, spooning her small body with his much larger one. He loved the way she fit against him, the way he could completely surround her and protect her and his child. Deep down inside he knew she didn't really _need_ protecting; she could shoot the wings off a fly at 50 yards and dump a man twice her size on his ass, but John was Wolf and protecting his mate was an integral part of who he was.

Gently he trailed a line of kisses down her naked shoulder while his hands reached around her and began playing with those full breasts. John heard Joss's sharp hiss as he pinched her nipples and he smiled into her shoulder. Her breasts had always been sensitive but since she'd become pregnant they were even more so. He could feel her body responding to his expert touch and that got him even more aroused. She squirmed as his hand roamed down between her legs and her butt rubbed against his growing erection. John moaned and then sank his teeth her shoulder, renewing the mating scar that marked her as his while she cried out.

"Oh John," his mate mewled as he buried two fingers inside her while his thumb rubbed her clit. She started to squirm some more but John held her firmly against his body, grinding his hips into her buttocks and pleasuring her with his hand until she came.

Joss had no time to recover from her orgasm before John was rolling her onto her hands and knees and burying himself inside her from behind. He pressed his forehead into her shoulder and pumped into her until they both came with each other names on their lips.

John gently laid her down and stretched out next her. He took her hand, brought it up to his lips, kissed it and held it against his cheek. "You're my anchor," he whispered.

"I love you too, John. Now sleep, we have a busy day ahead of us."

She looked over to see John already closing his eyes in sleep.

* * *

There was one black mark on Jocelyn's happiness that night and that was thought of the abused Wolf child. Whenever her mind was unoccupied her thoughts would return to him. Joss tried, she really did, but she simply could not get the poor little Wolf child out of her mind.

That night she lay in the bed she shared with John while he slept peacefully next to her, one hand laying protectively on her round stomach. She stared up the ceiling fan over their bed as it went around and around, as she worried about the boy. Her own teenaged son lay fast asleep in the next room, safe and secure in the love of his mother, stepfather, adopted uncles and the pack. Tibor had none of those, he had no one at all apparently and it ate at Joss. She could not stand by and let the abuse continue, she had to try to connect with the boy and get him away from those people.

She turned her head and looked at her mate as he slept. His face was relaxed and peaceful. He looked almost boyish and her heart nearly burst from how much she loved him. She really didn't like making John worry. As frustrating as his protectiveness was, she knew he did it out of love for her and the baby, but the mother in her could not forget Tibor's haunted eyes. She could only hope John would forgive her for doing what she was about to do.

* * *

Later that same morning at the precinct, Fusco hung up his phone and stood up.

"Four Eyes got a name on that Visa number and I have to go meet a CI who thinks he knows where the Wolf Hunters are holing up. I should be back in a couple of hours. Stay in the precinct until I get back." He glared a warning at his partner.

Joss rolled her eyes, "I'll be fine, Lionel."

Lionel continued to glare at her, "I'm serious, Joss. Stay here. John's already upset about yesterday. Hell, _I'm_ upset about yesterday. You met with a Wolf Hunter!"

Joss glared back, "Tibor is no Wolf Hunter. He's just a scared, abused kid."

Lionel stepped over to her desk bent over, placed his hands flat on her desk and leaned into her face, "He keeps lousy company. I know how he's scared and abused, but he is helping them find Wolves to kill. One of which was a member of our pack. He'll turn you over to them in heartbeat."

Joss could barely contain her fury at her partner, "Don't you dare forget I'm the Alpha here, no one knows better than me what they did to Patty. Tibor is our only lead, I _have_ to follow through."

But Fusco was not about to back down, "Well Ms. Alpha, show some responsibility to your pack mates and the baby, our future Alpha and STAY HERE. WE can run leads TOGETHER when I get back."

"He won't come near me if you're with me."

"We'll just have to take that chance, Joss. I'll be back soon. _Stay here_. I promise we will go looking for him when I get back."

Fusco spun on his heel and left. Joss watched him go barely containing her fury. How dare he order her to sit and wait around when there were brutal killers out there hunting her friends and family!

Joss waited several minutes, long enough to be sure Fusco was well away, then she stood up. Joss Carter could not sit idly by and waste the one good lead they had. Tibor would never let Joss approach him again if anyone was with her; she had to go it alone. Tibor would not hurt her, she felt it.

Joss hurried out the door and turned in the direction of the alleyway where she had found Tibor last time. She opened her Wolf senses and began to feel for him. She was disappointed when she reached the alley and she still could not feel him. "Where are you?" she mumbled to herself as she walked down the street.

She was so focused on her task that she did not notice the large man following her.

Slowly she circled the block, concentrating on finding Tibor, completely unaware that she was not alone. She turned down a quiet street, hoping that having fewer distractions would help her focus better. The man followed her, unseen.

Joss stopped about halfway down the block and closed her eyes, she thought she felt something and focused, trying to grab that tantalizing hint of the lost Wolf.

Instead she felt strong arms grab her from behind and a cloth with the unmistakable stench of chloroform was clamped firmly over her nose and mouth. She struggled, but the assailant had her arms pinned and the chloroform was rapidly putting her under. She slowly lost conscious.

* * *

A few blocks away at the library, John and Shaw were listening as Harold described the number.

"The owner of the Visa number is a Sandor Schiffer," Finch said as he hung the picture of big, burly dark haired man on the pane of glass. "25 years old, the oldest of five brothers, the youngest is apparently the Wolf child Tibor that Joss met yesterday. Tibor and Mother Schiffer have been in New York for approximately 11 months, the other four brothers only recently joined them. No Social Security numbers for any of them on file."

"Any idea where they're living?" John asked quietly while he stared at Sandor's picture. John's lip lifted in a tiny snarl, this was one of the men who killed those Wolves, including his pack mate, and would kill his family.

Harold shook his head. "These people are very low tech as far as I can tell, which is probably why the Machine had such a hard time tracking them. Their online footprint is non-existent, and I can't find any bank accounts. I spoke with Detective Fusco a few minutes ago, one of his CIs might have a lead."

Suddenly John's hackles rose. He felt Joss's fear through their mating bond as she was attacked and then there was nothing where his link with her had been before. Shaw, standing right next to him, felt him go rigid with fear and anger.

"Harold, track Joss's phone NOW!" John barked sharply.

Harold did not waste time questioning why, he swiftly pulled up his tracker app. "She's only two blocks away, over on 7th."

John raced out of the building as fast as he could run. He exploded out of the back door of the library at a dead run without checking to see if anyone was around first. He flew down the street with such a grim expression on his face that people hurried to get out his way.

Shaw raced after him but she was no match for how fast his long legs could cover ground. She was far behind him in nothing flat.

John reached the street and looked around frantically, but the only sign of Joss he found was her phone laying in the middle of the street. She was gone. Focusing on their mating bond, he tried to feel for her, but there was only a lonely void where she had been before. For the first time since they had mated, John was truly alone.

Shaw found him a few minutes later taking out his frustrations by beating the crap out of an innocent and handy garbage can. "John, stop!" she cried as she grabbed his arm, his fists were already bloody from pummeling the receptacle.

John collapsed to his knees and covered his face with his bloody hands, "I can't feel her!" he cried. "She's gone!"

"John, John," Shaw shook him as hard as she could. "You didn't feel her die, did you? You would have felt her die! She's still alive, just unconscious. As soon as she wakes up you can track her."

John struggled for control. He knew Shaw was right; Joss and their child were still alive, he had to focus on that and be ready when she returned to consciousness. He slowly got to his feet and allowed Shaw to guide him back to the library but he walked like a man in daze.

Finch paled when he saw the condition of John's hands and he hurried to get the first aid kit. He and Shaw attended to John's battered hands while Shaw brought him up to date. "All we found was her phone. But the good news is that John didn't feel her die; Wolves always feel it when their mates pass on."

Finch closed his eyes in gratitude; he didn't want to think about how John would react if Joss had been killed. John simply sat quietly with his head down, not making any outward sign that he heard a thing Shaw said or felt anything as Shaw and Finch cleaned his bloody knuckles.

"The problem is, whoever took Joss knocked her out using drugs, which means John can't track her using their mating bond until she wakes up." She managed to refrain from adding, "If she wakes up."

John continued to hang his head as Finch and Shaw cleaned up the first aid supplies and put the kit away. Harold's heart hurt to see his friend so bereft.

"You can't track her scent?" Finch asked hopefully.

"Nope," Shaw said. "They took her in a car, and we can't track cars in the city, too much traffic."

Finch laid a hand on John's shoulder. "We will find her and get her back, John. She's smart; she'll be alright."

John looked up at Harold with tears in his eyes. "I can't lose her and the baby. I can't…"

"You won't. I promise John." Finch desperately hoped he could keep that promise.

"She's my mate; I'm supposed to take care of her and keep her safe. I failed, again…"

Harold shook hi head and put his hands on his hips, he was having none of it. "John, you have done an exemplary job of keeping her safe. But Joss is a police officer and a strong willed woman; she will never be completely safe. You both have dangerous jobs and the fact that you are both still here says volumes about how you two care for each other."

John just hung his head again, refusing to accept any comfort from his friend. The Dark had returned to his life and stolen his mate and child out from under his nose.


	10. Chapter 10 - Captive

**Chapter 10 - Captive**

Joss woke up with a vicious headache in a dingy bedroom. She looked over at the window, hoping she could tell where she was by looking outside for landmarks, but someone had painted over the window with black paint.

Slowly, careful not to jar her aching head too much, she got up and began examining her prison. It was a small bedroom in an apartment in a building that was probably built around mid-century and not terribly well maintained. It held a bed, a small nightstand, a dresser and a chair. Every wall in the room held at least one cross and religious picture. The Wolf Hunters were definitely religious fanatics and followers of the anti-Wolf cleric John had told them about several days ago.

There was a small attached bathroom with only a sink and a toilet, and more crosses on the walls. Joss had been raised in the church, but all this overt religion was creeping her out, especially since she knew how these people had twisted it. She found a bottle of Tylenol in the medicine cabinet and took a couple to calm her aching head. She splashed some water on her face while she considered her options.

Her gun and badge had been taken from her. The door was locked, but the lock was old and could easily be picked as soon as she found suitable materials to do so. However, she had no idea what was on the other side of the door, or how many Wolf Hunters were in the next room.

She paused, staring at her reflection in the mirror, why hadn't they killed her? Then a sickening relation hit her: the baby. They wanted her baby. To raise the same way they had raised Tibor. They wanted to turn her child, John's child, into a Wolf Hunter.

Joss clamped a hand over mouth as a wave of nausea swept over her. No matter what, she had to get out of there. It was not just her life that was at stake, it was the baby's life as well.

She closed her eyes and focused on her mating bond, broadcasting as loudly as she could. To her relief she felt John respond. She felt his rage that she had been taken and his relief that she was still alive. Joss realized that while she had been unconscious, he had not been able to feel her, and he may have thought she was dead. She hung her head, ashamed that she had put him through that. Ashamed that she had ignored his loving attempts to keep her and their child safe. He had been right all along, and she had recklessly put herself and the baby in harm's way. She was going to have to figure out a way to make it up to him.

* * *

John had been deadly quiet since Joss had been taken. He sat in a corner oozing menace from every pore, watching Finch intently as the software genius tried determine the location of the Wolf Hunter's base of operations using the very limited information at hand.

Finch, Shaw and Fusco kept throwing nervous glances at the ex-operative, fully aware John was on the verge of losing his fragile hold on his control. None of them wanted to be around when that happened; the result was going to be very, very violent.

Suddenly John's attitude changed, his head tilted up like he was listening and his eyes grew soft. Fusco noticed the change first.

"Joss is awake," Lionel stated flatly. John nodded tensely, still listening.

The rest of the team stopped what they were doing and waited quietly. Even Bear was dead silent. After a minute or so, John rose to his feet and removed his gun from his waistband at the small of his back. He ejected the clip, checked it, and slammed it back into the gun with an expression of cold, hard fury on his face.

"I'm going to go get Joss now," he stated flatly.

Fusco and Shaw immediately checked their side arms as well. "Right behind you, John," Lionel said as he stood up.

John focused his intense glare on his friend. "We're doing this Wolf Style," he said quietly. "Once they laid their hands on my mate and cub, there was no turning back."

Lionel nodded, removed his badge from around his neck and stuck it in his pocket. "I got no problems with that. Joss is my partner and my friend."

Shaw walked to the exit, "Let's get this show on the road. I'm driving."

* * *

John was coming, Joss could already feel that he was closer, all she had to do was stay alive until he got there. Unfortunately she no idea how long that would be.

She hunted for something to use as weapon to defend herself in case they decided to kill her and take the baby before John could get there. But before she could find a suitable weapon, she heard someone outside the door.

She jumped as the door to her room was opened, but relaxed when she saw it was Tibor. He carried a steaming mug of soup and shut the door behind him.

Tibor looked at Joss sadly and her heart broke all over again for the abused child. She had seen many abuse cases as a cop but the pain in Tibor's eyes were the worst she had ever seen, hands down.

Tibor held the mug out to her, "I'm sorry."

Joss took the mug gratefully and sipped it, "No, don't be, I know they made you help."

Tibor bowed his head, "I have been helping them my whole life. They are…my family."

Joss reached over and grabbed his wrist, "No. No they're not. They killed your real family and made you think you were evil because of what you were born to be - something that you had no control over. Family doesn't do that."

Tibor gently removed his hand from hers. "I am bad, I know that now. I helped kill so many. I am a sinner."

"You're so young, you had no idea…"

Tibor shook his head, "I've known for a long time now that what they were doing was wrong, that it was a sin. But I had no idea how to stop. They…they hurt me when I didn't cooperate."

Joss touched his face, forcing him at look at her, "It doesn't have to be that way. My mate can make them stop."

Tibor nodded, "I know, that's why I helped them capture you."

Joss's eyes opened wide as the implications of what Tibor just said hit her, "They don't know about my bond with John; they think we are far enough away that he couldn't follow the mating bond to me."

Tibor nodded sadly, "They do not know you are strong like me. They think you are normal Wolf. They do not know your mate is coming."

"Thank you," Joss said simply with tears in her eyes.

"It was time to end this; it was time for us to pay for what we have done. Sinners must pay for their sins." Tibor looked at Joss, "You are a nice lady. You understand me and you want to help me. I cannot let you die."

Joss looked down into the soup in her mug. "They were going to kill me and take my baby, weren't they?"

Tibor stared at her sadly for a minute, then shook his head. "No, they were going to take the baby while you were alive, like they did with my mother. They are only waiting a few more weeks so the baby will live when they cut it out of you."

* * *

"Faster," John growled.

"I can't go any faster, there's too much traffic," Shaw snapped back at him as she negotiated a corner.

"They have my mate and my child," John snarled, in no mood to listen to reason.

"I know, we will get them back, John," Shaw said. "But traffic is only moving so fast."

"It will be OK, John," Lionel said from the back seat. "Joss is smart; she'll be fine. We'll be there soon."

John looked out the window. They were right, he knew that. He was angry with himself, not them. It was his fault, Joss and the baby were his responsibility, he was supposed to protect them and he had failed. He knew Joss was inquisitive and tenacious; he should have known she would try to find the Wolf child and save him. That was just his Joss. He should have helped her instead of trying to lock her away.

He closed his eyes and focused on his bond with Joss. "Turn left up here, it feels like she's in the heart of Brooklyn."

"Got it," Shaw said and spun the wheel expertly as the car slid around the corner at top speed.

* * *

"He's close," Joss told Tibor. "You should stay in here with me. I don't want you getting hurt."

"No, I deserve to die for my sins. It is the only way I can be redeemed." And Tibor left the room despite Joss's pleas. He locked the door behind him.

* * *

It had been a long time since John Reese had specifically set out to kill someone, but today he was not going to let any of those people walk out of that apartment alive. The long trip to the Wolf Hunters' home had given him plenty of time to think and he had been thinking some very dark thoughts.

Shaw had barely stopped the car when he was out of it and storming towards the building without waiting for the other two. His face had the penetrating glare of the trained killer and his coat billowed out from him on both sides of his body like Dracula's cape as he strode purposefully down the street. The few people who were on the street scurried to get out his way because it was evident that this man was on a mission. His eyes never wavered from the front door, nor did he hear Shaw and Fusco calling to him to wait.

Shaw and Fusco had to run to catch up with Reese just before he entered the stairwell. He was so focused that he didn't notice the others had joined him.

As they walked down the hallway to the Wolf Hunters apartment, Shaw felt his cold, deadly anger and she looked up at him in surprise. She had not seen him like this before, but she realized this was the Reese that the CIA had created and it gave her chills. The intensity of his stare threatened to burn everyone in his vicinity

Tibor had felt John's approach and was nearly staggered by John's intense, stone-cold anger. Calmly accepting his fate as fair retribution for his sins, Tibor moved to the stand in the middle of the room so that he would be the first thing John saw when he kicked in the door.

The Wolves reached the door to the apartment and John kicked it in with barely a break in his stride. He was in no mood to talk; he was there to hurt people, specifically the people who dared to think they could harm his beloved mate.

To the Wolf Hunters, it looked like the Devil himself had come calling when the door to the apartment splintered to reveal the tall man in the long black coat and the penetrating stare that sliced a person down to their soul. You didn't need to be Wolf to know that this man was here for vengeance.

To Tibor, Reese looked like justice. He looked like the avenging angel that Tibor had been waiting for his entire miserable life. He had waited a long time and the moment of his release was finally here.

Reese's and Tibor's eyes locked for a brief second. Reese recognized the Wolf Child from his mate's description and John's eyes softened for a brief second. Tibor's own eyes flew wide open in disappointment as he realized that John wasn't going kill him as he had hoped. Reese broke eye contact and turned to grab Sandor as he lunged for John with a knife.

Reese didn't even notice when Tibor ran right by him out the door to the hallway, he was too busy snapping Sandor's neck. "That's for touching my mate," he said with quiet intensity as he dropped Sandor's limp body on the floor and turned to grab the next brother.

Shaw dropped Mrs. Schiffer with a perfectly aimed shot to the heart as she took aim at Reese's back. Then Shaw spun and kicked one of the remaining brothers in the groin as he lunged for her.

As Reese and Shaw battled the Wolf Hunters, Fusco looked for Carter.

Joss felt John arrive and heard the fight in the front room. Afraid for Tibor and afraid for John's mental health if he did hurt the child in his lust for revenge, she started pounding on the door to the bedroom, yelling for someone to let her out. Fusco heard her pounding and quickly opened the door for her.

"Where is Tibor?" she demanded.

Fusco shrugged, "I saw him run out the door just a few seconds ago."

Joss looked over at John and saw that he and Shaw had the Wolf Hunters well in hand, so she decided to go after the Wolf child. Joss ran to the front door of the apartment and out into the hallway. She saw the doorway at the end of the hall close. She raced as fast as her ungainly body would allow to the stairwell door with Fusco close behind her.

Once in the stairwell, she heard Tibor running up the stairs over her head. "Tibor! Stop! Wait!," she called as she ran after him. He ignored her and continued racing up the stairs. Joss was confused, why would he go up? Why not do down to the street if he wanted to escape?

She burst out the door on the roof in time to see Tibor leap onto the side and teeter on the edge.

"Tibor! No!" Joss screamed in horror as she suddenly realized why he had run to the roof.

Tibor finally looked over his shoulder at her. "I am sorry but your mate would not punish me, so I must do it myself."

Joss slowly and carefully approached the boy with her hands held out, palms forward and out. "No, you don't have to do this."

Tibor smiled sadly, "Yes I do. Don't worry, I will finally find peace. That's all I want now." Then he spread his arms out, closed his eyes and fell.

Joss lunged for him and managed to grab a handful of fabric. In her desperation to save the Wolf child, her stomach slammed into the railing with great force and pain immediately shot through her. She would have gone over the edge if Fusco had not grabbed her from behind and hauled her back. Tibor slipped from her grasp and fell.

"Tibor!" Joss screamed and then collapsed in a heap on the ground.

Fusco looked down, "Oh my god Joss you're bleeding!"

Joss held her stomach as the pain forced her to double over. "I'm losing the baby!" She wailed.


	11. Chapter 11 - Grief and Loss

**Chapter 11- Grief and Loss**

Joss lay on the ground in a semi-fetal position with her head in Fusco's lap, gripping his coat, sobbing, "Tibor's dead! I'm losing our baby! John's going to hate me! He asked me to stop and I didn't listen!"

Fusco held her hand, "Joss, no shhhhh, John won't hate you. He's nuts about you."

"He'll break our bond because I killed our baby!" she wailed.

"You didn't kill the baby. We'll get you to the hospital and everything'll be fine," Fusco desperately tried to reassure the frantic woman. But Fusco himself was struggling; Joss was broadcasting her distress so loudly in her panicked state that he was having trouble maintaining his own equilibrium. Her fear and pain bludgeoned his Wolf sense like baseball bat. He knew he had to remain calm; if he didn't, Joss would pick up on his emotions and she would spiral out of control. She was on the edge of complete hysteria already.

Fusco almost cried with relief when Reese burst through the door to the roof. John's full attention was focused on his mate as she lay bleeding. He was projecting love and calmness at her with everything he had and Fusco marveled at the man's control. With his mating bond with Joss, he had to be feeling her pain and grief more than any of them, but he gave no sign that he felt anything but calm. His intense focus was concentrated on his precious mate and Fusco felt it begin to work. Joss slowly began to settle down as John approached.

John dropped to his knees when he reached them and gathered his love into his arms, murmuring soothing words to her.

"I'm so sorry, John, you were right, you were right about everything," Joss sobbed, calmer but still bereft, convinced she was losing the baby. She burrowed her face in his chest, gripping the lapel of his coat like it was a life ring, crying quietly.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. It's my fault. I should have helped you look for Tibor instead trying to lock you away." John said, keeping his voice soft and low as Joss sobbed into his shirt. He gently stroked her hair and kissed her the top of her head. "You wouldn't be my Joss if you hadn't tried to save him."

John briefly turned to Fusco, "Call an ambulance and go downstairs to wait for them."

Fusco scrambled to go; he never thought he would be so grateful to put a little bit of distance between himself and his partner. Joss was his favorite person in the world, next to his own son, but he knew he was close to losing his cool. Fusco always had been good at understanding his limitations and he knew the best thing he could do right now was let John handle her.

Fusco passed Shaw on his way down to the street. She was leaning against a wall outside the apartment where the Wolf Hunters had been hiding out. She was pale and Fusco could tell that Joss's highly emotional broadcasting had deeply affected her too.

"What the hell is going on up there?" She gasped out.

"Joss thinks she's losing the baby; there's an ambulance on the way," Fusco said curtly as he hurried past her. Shaw's eyes opened wide in shock and she quickly followed Fusco down the stairs to the street to wait for the ambulance.

Up on the roof, John was using every calming technique he knew to keep himself under control and support his frantic mate.

"I'm so sorry, John; I should have listened to you." She sobbed. She lifted her head from his chest and looked up at him with tears running down her cheeks. "Please don't hate me."

Her pleading eyes nearly broke his heart. John held her close, "I could never hate you," he whispered fiercely to her.

Joss dropped her head back down, "I lost Tibor and I'm losing our baby."

John placed a finger under her chin and gently lifted, forcing her to look up at him. "No, the baby will be fine, I can feel it. But you need to remain calm; take deep breaths, honey." Joss drew in a ragged breath. John gently nuzzled her, "That's right, you're going to be OK."

Joss tried desperately to calm herself, but the pain reminded her at every breath that their child was in grave danger.

Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, Fusco guided an ambulance crew to the roof. John scooped Joss up in his arms and placed her on the gurney like she was weightless. She absolutely refused to let go of him and he had to ride in the ambulance with her to the Wolf Clinic where Dr. Cho was waiting for them.

Once they reached the clinic, Joss was wheeled into the emergency room at top speed. Dr. Cho gently placed his hand over Joss's where she had a death grip on her mate. "Joss, listen to me, I need to examine you, but we can't work unless you relax. John will be right outside, I promise."

Joss looked up at John fearfully. John gently kissed her forehead, "I promise, I'm not going anywhere. You're not alone."

Joss reluctantly relaxed her grip and John moved to the door of the room. Just before he exited, he turned and looked at her. The look on her face nearly broke his heart; she looked so sad and lost. He gave his best smile, mouthed the words _I love you_ and left her in the care of the medical professionals.

John paced the waiting room anxiously until Finch, Fusco and Taylor joined him. Finally Dr. Cho emerged from the examining room and the group crowded around him to hear the diagnoses.

"Joss has a placental abruption," Dr. Cho stated calmly. "Basically this means the placenta separates from the wall of the uterus. Fortunately it's only a partial abruption, so we don't have to do an emergency C-section, but I am going to keep her here for observation, at least for few days until I know the baby is OK and she isn't going to have any more complications."

Cho paused and looked puzzled, "I had to sedate her, she was so upset and broadcasting so loudly that my Wolf staff had trouble working on her. What happened out there?"

John looked grim, "One of our cases went very, very wrong and a teenager died. Joss tried to save him, but she couldn't hold on."

Cho shook his head, "Knowing our Alpha gal in there, that's going to just about destroy her. I'll try to keep her sedated for tonight and give her a chance to rest. Lionel, you'll have to notify your department that she is on medical leave as of right now. She can't go back to work until after the baby is born. She has a good chance of carrying to term and delivering normally, but only if she stays off her feet and stays quiet."

"Can I see her?" John asked quietly.

Dr. Cho nodded, "Of course. She's going to be groggy."

John nodded and entered the room. Joss was laying on the gurney propped up in sitting position with her eyes closed. The nurse smiled cheerfully at him and left the room to give them their privacy. Afraid that she might be asleep already, John quietly approached the bed and took her hand. He was surprised by how cold it was and he raised it to his lips to kiss.

Joss opened her eyes and looked up at him with a forlorn expression on her face. "I wasn't sure if I was going to see you again after what I did," she said softly as a tear rolled down her cheek.

John tenderly wiped the tear away. "I could never leave you; you're my anchor."

Another tear drop trickled down her cheek. "I almost killed our baby," she whispered.

John brushed the tear away again, "You were trying to save another child."

She choked up, "I failed."

John held her cold hand to his cheek. "No one could have saved him. They destroyed him, not you."

Joss didn't reply, she closed her eyes and let the sedative carry her to sleep while John stared helplessly at her.

* * *

In the days that followed, Joss sank into a deep depression. While she healed physically, losing Tibor and then nearly losing her unborn child came perilously close to destroying her emotionally.

Joss was lost in her grief and helplessness. And because she was so lost, she was unable to deal with the highly charged emotions of the rest of team. After the violence of the Wolf Hunters, Tibor's suicide and the near loss of her baby, it was all too much for her. John had previously worried about how her sensitivity to the emotions of others could affect her, and he had been right to do so. She had been so overwhelmed by all the feeling of grief and loss that she been forced to shut down in self-defense. Once she did, she found it exceedingly difficult to reconnect with her own emotions and with her loved ones.

Carter's depression cast a gloom over the entire team. She was the heart of the team and the members all felt lost to varying degrees without her practical empathy and morality to guide them during cases. Team Machine's moral center was down for the count and they were flailing in the void she had left behind. The bad guys of New York bore the brunt of the team's loss. Many more kneecaps were shot than were necessary and more heads were slammed against walls than were needed.

* * *

Finch glared down at Shaw, like a father glaring at an errant child. Shaw glared back just as angrily.

"Miss Shaw, we have talked this," Finch began as he stepped over a body.

"No, you mean_ you_ talked. Can it, Finch. I'm not in the mood. Don't call me, I'll call you when I feel like it." Shaw spun and stalked off while Finch stared at her helplessly.

Reese made a move as if to follow her. "I'll bring her back if I have to drag her," he snarled, his voice dripping with menace.

Finch grabbed Reese's arm, "No, John, please. Let her go. Emotions are running high right now. Let's not do anything we will regret later. Shaw is just upset over Joss."

Reese stopped dead in his tracks and sat down heavily on a nearby planter. "I'm sorry, Finch," he sighed. "I don't know what came over me just now. I would have wrung Shaw's neck."

Finch sat down, "I know John, you're worried about Joss. We all are." Finch turned and looked at the retreating back of Sam Shaw. "We all are," he repeated softly.

John rubbed his hands over his face and then sat leaning forward with his forearms resting on his knees. "You're right. I am. She's not herself, she's slipping away from me, and I don't know how to help her…I don't know how to bring her back to me."

"All you can do is be there for her, she has to work through her grief." Finch laid a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder.

"That's my fault. If I had just listened to her when she told me that Tibor wasn't dangerous, he would be alive now. If I had helped her, we could have saved him." John hung his head, "She probably hates me now."

Finch stared straight ahead as he spoke, "John, Joss could never hate you, the bond you two share never ceases to amaze me with its strength and love. Even during our worst cases it's been a beacon in the dark for the rest of us.

"You were defending your mate and your child. That protectiveness is a part of you, asking to stop protecting your family is like asking your heart to stop beating."

John looked at Finch with such a forlorn look at that Finch's breath was taken away, "If I lose her, my heart _will_ stop beating."

* * *

John tried it to hide his turmoil whenever he was around his mate knowing that it would only upset her more than she was already. John had envisioned spending the last couple of months before the eagerly awaited birth of their child decorating the nursery and bickering over names. Instead, he was spending it hovering over his mostly unresponsive mate trying to interest her in anything that could bring her out of her depression. He could feel her slipping away, and it terrified him. He had lost his anchor, and for once his normally attuned and sensitive mate was oblivious to it all.

Reese did everything he could think of to help Joss work through her sadness, but his emotions contained an undercurrent of desperation that she was in no condition to deal with. He brought her favorite treats, but they tasted like sawdust in her mouth. He cuddled her, but his touch, normally so comforting in times of stress, left her feeling empty. All she could feel was his sadness, guilt and loss, no matter hard he tried to mask them.

She had the exact same problem with Fusco; she could feel how upset he was and it was too much for her in her fragile state. Fusco tried to jolly her back to her old self with wickedly funny tales of the trial and tribulations of the 8th precinct without her, but even the thought of Captain Kennedy getting shot in the butt by a horrified and hastily reassigned rookie wasn't enough to make her laugh. She could feel Fusco's fear that she would never return to normal, and all she could do was stare at her partner glumly.

Taylor tried to help as best as he could, but while he was not Wolf yet, and Joss could not feel him like she could her mate and the other Wolves, his actions and facial expressions belied his concern and made her anxious. She knew she knew should pull herself out of this fog for his sake and the baby's sake, but she just couldn't and that upset her further.

Shaw simply stayed away, unable to be around so much grief. For that, Joss was grateful to the woman who had assumed the role of little sister in her life.

In the end, it was Finch who was the most help to Joss in overcoming her depression. Because he wasn't Wolf, Joss could not feel his emotions, and long experience had taught him how to carefully hide what he was feeling in his expressions and movements. Finch's very presence, because he was completely unreadable to Joss, allowed her to relax while giving her some desperately needed companionship.

Finch's long convalescence from his wounds after Nathan's assassination had taught him that it was counterproductive to endlessly fuss over the patient, so he didn't waste his time constantly asking her if she was OK or adjusting her pillows. John, Taylor and Fusco were so eager to do anything, anything at all, to bring her out of her depression, that she found them exhausting as they hovered over her endlessly. Finch was finally able to convince them to leave her alone and give her some space.

What Finch did do for her was read to her. They discovered that the comedies of Shakespeare were the perfect antidote to Joss's depression. The smooth cadences of the iambic pentameter read in Finch's cultured voice and perfect enunciation proved to be very soothing to the woman's battered emotional state. She clung to that lifeline and slowly clawed her way out of depression and grief.

A couple of weeks later, Finch knew she was making progress when she began to fret over the nursery for the baby. Her small two bedroom apartment was barely big enough for her, Taylor, and John; and John's loft, while big and spacious, was a bachelor pad with no privacy whatsoever.

"I'm ready to start looking at apartments again, Finch" she told him one day about a month before the baby was due. Finch simply nodded and said, "Of course, Joss. We can start tomorrow if you like." Then as soon as he could, he excused himself to call John on his stakeout with Shaw and announce, "She's back!"


	12. Chapter 12 - Birth of an Alpha

**This is the last chapter of this story. It's time for happiness! **

**Thanks**** to my awesome betas Wolfmusic and ReeseisLAVAhot, you guys really elevate my fic to the next level with all your great suggestions!**

* * *

**Chapter 12 – Birth of an Alpha**

Step two of Joss's recovery began as her nesting instincts kicked into overdrive. Fortunately, Dr. Cho allowed her to get out of bed as long as she used a wheelchair. giving her some mobility, so Finch had exactly the right project in mind that would keep her busy and allow her to prepare for the baby's arrival.

After the last round of apartment hunting, Finch had a pretty good idea of what the Carter/Reese family wanted now and the area the family needed to live in. He knew that Joss didn't want it to be too big, John wanted fortress-like security, and Taylor wanted it close to his school and friends.

Reviewing his list of available properties, Finch realized that he knew of the perfect place. He decided to show Joss, John and Taylor a large four bedroom apartment in a former industrial complex that one of his companies was renovating into high end, high security living spaces. Its location was the perfect compromise between the library, the 8th precinct and Taylor's school. Finch loaded the Carter/Reese family into the Lincoln and headed for what he hoped would be their new home.

From the outside the building looked about as cozy as a prison. The walls were thick concrete devoid of any ornamentation. The windows were glazed with a coating that allowed the occupants to see out, but prevented anyone on the outside from seeing in, which turned them into black holes on the side of the building. There was no mistaking the building's industrial pedigree and as soon as Joss saw it, she wanted to turn around and flee from the starkness of it.

But she trusted Finch, so instead of ordering him to turn the car around, she allowed herself to be wheeled into the lobby in her wheelchair. As soon as she saw the interior, she was glad she had trusted Finch and made a mental note to never doubt the dear little man ever again.

The lobby was very soothing and homey. It was all rich wood and muted earth tones that made her feel relaxed and content, like she could come home to this place after a long day of dealing with the scum of New York.

Despite its welcoming interior the building was still highly secure. The elevator required an access card before it would even open and another swipe of the access card before it would go to the top floor where the apartment was located. They would have the entire floor to themselves, not even the other residents of the building would have access.

The elevator dinged cheerfully when it reached the top floor and the doors slid open to reveal a short hallway, painted and carpeted in the same soothing earth tones, ending in a large door that was painted in a contrasting tone to the walls. At first glance it was just a door, but a closer inspection revealed the door was heavy duty steel that would take at least an hour to cut through with a commercial cutting torch.

Finch pointed out the security cameras aimed at the elevator door and the entrance to the apartment and a less obvious one hidden in a vent in case the other cameras were disabled. Not only did the camera feeds go to the monitors inside the apartment, they also went to the library so he and John could monitor the home from there if needed.

A number pad was next to the door to the apartment and Finch quickly tapped in a six digit code while he explained that the pad was also tied to the library so if someone tried to tamper with it Finch could be notified and change the combination in seconds. Once the code was input, the door clicked and smoothly slid open with barely a whisper. John lifted an eyebrow, "I'm impressed, Finch. I've been in bunkers that stored nuclear weapons that weren't this this secure."

Finch looked over at his friend and employee with a wide-eyed expression, "I don't think I want to hear that story, Mr. Reese."

"No, you don't," John confirmed cheerfully with a smirk. "But don't worry, it wasn't one of ours."

They called the apartment The Bunker after that.

The door opened into an entryway with coat hooks, shelves, and a bench for putting on and taking off shoes and boots. A left turn brought them into the rest of the apartment and they paused there looking the place over.

The common area included the living room, dining room, and kitchen all in one large room. The room was large enough for a growing family and entertaining, but not too large that it couldn't be warm and inviting. The hardwood floor was a rich medium hue, the kitchen cabinets were stained a lovely shade of red brown and the counters were black granite. Even without furniture or rugs, Joss could see the potential there. For the first time since Tibor died, she smiled the huge megawatt smile that John had missed so badly over the past month. Her eyes lit up with anticipation of turning this bare, lovely space into a proper home for her family

"What's my decorating budget?" Joss asked her mate. John smiled, took out his phone and pulled up one of his many accounts and showed her the balance. Joss nearly fell out of her chair. Then she grinned a Wolfish grin.

"Think you can work with that?" Her mate asked her, kissing the top of head.

"Oh, yeah," she purred.

* * *

Joss was on a mission after that. She wanted to move her family into their new home before the baby was born and she only had a month until the due date. John, Harold, Lionel, and Samantha all had to take turns driving her around and trailing after her as she picked furniture, rugs and other décor with near brutal efficiency. Reese and Shaw as former military personnel were used to organized and efficient operations, but even they had to admit that Joss Carter could have taught Norman Schwarzkopf and Dwight Eisenhower a few tricks after watching her blitzkrieg a furniture store, taking no prisoners. Had Joss Carter been in charge, WWII would have been nothing more than a regional dust up.

When she was done, with one week to spare, the large apartment was actually cozy, homey and intimate. She had family pictures all over the place, including some from John's family that they brought home from Washington. Joss stuck with the soothing earth tones and a few splashes of color here and there, to keep the place from being boring. The furniture was soft and comfortable and the upholstery was easily cleaned so children and dogs couldn't damage it.

Their first night in the new place, Reese stood in the middle of the great room and looked around. He had to admit he was quite pleased with what he saw. This was a place that he could come home to after a difficult number and relax with his family. This was a place he could raise his children with his mate. Bear stretched out on the sofa and grinned up at Reese, even he seemed pleased with the new apartment.

John watched his mate working in the kitchen, humming away happily as she stirred something on the stove, and he felt like he was home. He hadn't felt like this since he left his parents' house right after high school.

He wandered into the nursery and looked around with a smile on his face. This was the one room he had insisted on having input into the decor and Joss had cheerfully let him have his way most of the time. It was as girlie as could be with pink walls, white furniture and a canopy over the crib. There were enough stuffed animals to make any Toy R Us shopper jealous and countless dancing animals on the walls.

The walls also had the baby's name spelled out in white cursive letters. John had thought long and hard about a name for his precious daughter. Joss had suggested Laura, after his mother, but John had never liked reusing names, he felt each child should have their own name.

"Alright Daddy," Joss had said crossing her arms. "You come up with a name then." John agreed.

But John had no idea how to even start, so he turned to the smartest person he knew, Harold Finch. The two men spent some time discussing names, and Finch was more than happy to help suggest names for his "niece." John wanted a name that reflected who he and Joss were and who he hoped the child would be some day. Harold did some research and came up with the name that fit the criteria that John was looking for.

"Beautiful Defender of the People, Cali Alexis. The perfect name for the child of two people who have dedicated their lives to defending the defenseless." Finch was quite pleased with himself.

John smiled; it was perfect. He told Joss and she smiled too. "I like it!" Cali Alexis it was, and Now the name was spelled out on the wall in white cursive letters over the crib.

Joss walked into the room, "This where you went to!" John slipped an arm around her and hugged her tight to his body as she looked around. "Gee, John, do you think we made the room girly enough? It looks like Barbie threw up in here."

John got a bit defensive, "Cali Alexis is my little princess and this room is fit for a princess."

Joss rolled her eyes, "The kid isn't even born yet and she already has you wrapped around her little finger. Dinner will ready in a couple of minutes."

She started to leave the room when she felt the first labor pain and sagged against the door frame, panting.

"John, baby? It's time," she managed to gasp.

John was making a slight adjustment to the canopy over the crib and did not notice Joss's distress at first, "You mean dinner's ready?"

Joss was panting too heavily to say anything other than "No."

John spun around and looked at her with wide terrified eyes, "Cali?"

More panting, then, "Yes."

For the first and only time in his life, John Reese froze in a time of crisis. Joss's labor pain subsided and she glared over at her mate and spoke slowly and firmly, "John, turn off the stove, grab my bag and meet me at the front door. MOVE!"

John moved. He bolted for the kitchen and turned off the pots that had been bubbling away with dinner. While Joss waddled slowly for the front door, John scurried into the bedroom and grabbed the bag Joss had packed several days ago in anticipation of this night. He grabbed the wheelchair, brought it to his mate and she sank into it gratefully. John hustled her out the door to the elevator and then down to the secure parking garage underneath the building.

Another pain hit Joss as she was getting in the car. John knelt down next to the open car door and held her hand. "Breathe, baby," he murmured to her softly as she panted. Once the pain passed John shut the door and ran around the car to the driver's side; as he did so he called Finch, "Joss is in labor, meet us at the clinic. And call Taylor for me; he's over at a friend's house."

John could hear the excitement in Finch's voice, "Of course, Mr. Reese! I'll meet you there shortly."

Finch hung up and promptly called Taylor, Fusco, and Joss's mother, Alice. Finch swung by Taylor's friend's house on the way to the hospital and got Taylor. Fusco picked up Alice and they met up at the Wolf Clinic.

They were met at the door to the maternity ward by a nurse with clipboard whose name badge identified her as Nicole. Nurse Nicole carefully checked off their names and then escorted them into a small waiting room. "This is the family waiting room," she informed them. "The pack waiting room is down the hall to the left if you want to visit."

Alice was quite confused. "Family waiting room? Pack Waiting room? I don't understand," she said, turning to Fusco. Fusco noticed that she got the same furrow between her eyebrows that Joss got when she was perplexed. Fusco found it oddly charming.

Fusco could not help but grin at Alice, "Wolf births are very much a pack affair, even more so when it's an Alpha. This is a waiting room for the close friends and family only. That's why Nicole checked our names on the list before she would let us in here. The rest of the pack will be showing up as they get wind of what's going on and probably some of the other Alphas too. The pack waiting room can get kinda rowdy. John was on a case, so I went with Joss to the birth of the Galenki kid and it was more like a kegger at NYU without the keg than a baby shower."

Alice's eyes opened wide at that and her mouth fell open, "Wow, glad I'm not in there then."

Fusco's grin got wider, "That's why they separate the family from the rest of the pack. Thank God we're not in regular hospital, they don't understand the dynamic and everyone would be crammed into the regular waiting room. Wolves consider babies something to celebrate and boy, do we _celebrate_."

Just then they were interrupted by the nurse. "Alpha Carter and Alpha Reese would like to see everyone now."

Finch, Fusco, Taylor and Alice all walked into the comfortable and homey birthing room to find Joss sitting up in bed with John tensely hovering over her, holding her hand. Dr. Cho was also in the room, carefully monitoring the patient's condition and the fetal monitor that beeped cheerfully next to the bed.

Taylor and Alice both gave Joss big hugs. "How are you feeling, baby?" Alice asked her daughter.

"I'm fine mama. Everything is going great." Then a labor pain hit and Joss panted while John held her hand and softly encouraged her.

Dr. Cho smiled as he looked at the fetal monitor, "Keep it up Joss, you're doing great!" he chirped as the pain passed and she sagged against the pillows. "We'll have a new little Alpha by morning."

Joss gave the doctor a weak smile and then closed her eyes to catch what little rest she could between pains. John gently stroked her hair, while Dr. Cho herded everyone out.

"How's she really doing, Doc?" Fusco asked when they were out of the room.

Dr. Cho smiled, "Don't let John's grim demeanor scare you. She really is doing fine, The placental abruption does not appear to be getting any worse and she will probably deliver normally in a few hours. John is just being a worry wort. He can't stand seeing her in pain, even if means he gets a daughter out it."

Reassured, the group returned to their waiting room to await the birth of the newest family member. After a while curiosity and boredom got the better of Fusco and he decided to make a visit to the pack waiting room to see who was there. He walked down the hall and stopped dead in the doorway, stunned by what he saw.

The pack waiting room was huge. It had been designed to hold an entire Wolf Pack after all, but the room was stuffed with bodies. He recognized virtually everyone from his pack, their mates, and a bunch of Alphas from other packs. Bill Cross saw him standing in the doorway and walked over to him.

"Lionel, good to see ya! Have you seen Jocelyn?" Bill warmly shook Fusco's hand.

"Yeah, just a few minutes ago. She's doing the great. Doc thinks she'll deliver by morning."

Bill's face split into large grin, "Glad to hear it! How's the new daddy holding up?"

Fusco snorted, "He's being John."

Bill laughed. He had known John for a while and knew exactly when Fusco was saying. Bill was well aware of how intense John could be, and how John needed to be in control. But, when it came to childbirth, no man was ever in control, and Bill, having been through it a few times himself, understood this completely. He loved John like one of his sons, but he could just imagine how helpless John was feeling right now, and how unhappy that would make the Alpha Male.

Bill silently resolved to buy the proud papa a good stuff drink wen this was all over.

* * *

Back in the birthing room, John stared intently at his mate as she dozed lightly. She felt his gaze and slowly opened her eyes and looked over at him. She smiled and squeezed his hand,"How are you holding up, daddy?"

Tenderly John cupped her cheek in his large hand. "Don't worry about me," He said softly. "I'm not the one who's having a baby."

"We are in this together, John," she reminded him.

John gave her a gentle smile. "I think you're a little more committed than I am."

Joss returned his smile. "Just wait until it's time to change her diapers in the middle of the night, we'll see how committed you are."

John touched his forehead to hers, "I love you. You gave me a family."

Joss laid a hand on his cheek, "You gave me one too."

* * *

Cali Alexis Reese Carter entered the world a few hours later, and she was NOT happy about it.

"Well, we know her lungs work," Dr. Cho observed dryly as he placed the newest little Alpha on Joss's chest. Cali ceased her howling and settled down once she felt her mother's warm skin against hers. Carter gazed down at her daughter, "Oh God, she's so beautiful!"

John was tearing up so badly, he almost couldn't see well enough to cut the cord.

Nicole then cleaned and swaddled Cali, handing her to Reese. "Go on Daddy, show off your little girl, we have a few things to finish here."

Reese walked down the hallway, barely looking at where he was going, he was so fixated on the tiny bundle of joy in his arms.

Like all Wolf babies, Cali was born with a full head of hair and a light dusting of fur on her body that cleaned off with the vernix* almost immediately after birth. As he was carrying her, she opened her eyes and looked around.

John paused and cooed at his child, "Hey little Cali."

Cali met her daddy's eyes and smiled a toothless smile. This was not unusual for Wolf babies, they tended to track movement and faces almost from birth. John, however, decided then and there Cali was the most wonderful and advanced baby ever born.

He entered the waiting room and Alice, Finch, Fusco and Taylor surrounded him to see the new addition. Reese reluctantly let Alice take her new grandchild out of his arms, but he hovered while Finch, Fusco and Taylor cooed over her.

The nurse appeared at his elbow with a big smile, "We're done and Alpha Carter is ready to see you. And she says to bring her baby!"

Reese motioned for the others to follow the nurse, "Go ahead, I'll be there in a minute, I have to make the birth announcement."

As the others followed the nurse back into the recovery room, John walked down the hallway to the pack waiting room. The room was the usual happy, rowdy mob of Wolves eager to be the first to hear about the newest Alpha. As John came into view in the doorway a cheer went up, because the assembled group knew that meant the baby had been born and was healthy.

John couldn't help grinning. He never thought he would ever be in this position after the murder of his parents. He never thought he could be this happy. He waited patiently while the room quieted enough for him to talk.

"Cali Alexis Reese Carter was born at 3:18 am. She is 9 pounds, 8 ounces and perfectly healthy. My mate Jocelyn and Cali are both doing fine."

Another cheer went up.

"The next full moon will be on the 10th, the formal presentation will be made then."

The pack and the other Alphas began filing by the new father, shaking his hand and offering their congratulations as they left. John kept a goofy grin plastered on his face the entire time, graciously thanking each pack member and Alpha for coming. Truthfully, he was surprised by how many Wolves showed up, and he was more than a bit humbled by the fact that they did. In terms of Wolf culture, that meant a lot.

He had more than just a family; he had a whole community.

* * *

Later that day as Joss slept, John sat cradling his newborn daughter in his arms. Cali was fast asleep; completely unaware she was being adored by her daddy.

A tear ran down John's cheek as he gently ran a finger along Cali's tiny little mouth and brushed her tiny fist. He marveled at how perfect she was, and he swore he had never seen anything so beautiful in his life. He could sit and stare at her forever. Despite the darkness that still lurked within him, he had helped make something so pure and perfect that he could not help but think Cali was his redemption. Even if he died tomorrow, he would leave behind the best part of himself, the part that matters the most. He could be content with that.

* * *

Cali was officially introduced to the Wolf community a couple of weeks later. As tradition dictated, the presentation took place during the next full moon after her birth. Wolves are all about family and community, not ceremony, so the presentation took the form of a reception in the community center in the park which the Carter/Reese pack used as a home base before the pack's run. Joss, holding Cali, and John circulated letting each pack member have a chance to briefly meet and fuss over their new pack mate.

Several of the other Alphas were there was well, including Bill and Bess Cross, and they too got the chance to meet the latest addition to the Wolf people.

"Oh Joss, she's gorgeous!" Bess cooed over the baby while Cali regarded her solemnly. Then Cali decided that all the fuss was exhausting and she closed her big blue eyes and went straight to sleep.

Finally, the other Alphas returned to their own packs, and it was time for the Wolf members of the Carter/Reese pack to take their run. Joss handed Cali off to her mother and Taylor and then followed her mate out to the thicket where they normally changed out of their clothes for morphing.

John was surprised to see Joss getting ready for the run. "Are you sure you're up to this? You only gave birth a couple of weeks ago!" John asked his mate with concern.

Joss stood on her toes and kissed him. "I haven't had a run in over two months; just try to stop me. Doc cleared me to run this morning."

John kissed her back, "Well then, we had better not keep our pack waiting."

A few minutes later a large salt and pepper wolf emerged out of bushes with a smaller black wolf at his side to take their place at the head of the pack.

**THE END**

* * *

*Vernix is a white waxy substance that coats the skin of new born babies.

**The Wolves will be back soon...I've already started working on the next story...**


End file.
